


String Theory

by CrushingOnSans



Series: Free To Us [2]
Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Additional Warnings may be in chapter end notes, All of the angst tags, Angst, Angst and Fluff and Smut, Angst and Humor, Crush Thinks She's Funny, Death, Ecto-Genitalia (Undertale), Everyone Is An Asshole, Explicit Sexual Content, Fluff, Fluff and Smut, Frenemies, Friends With Benefits, Friendship/Love, Grief, Guilt, Heavy Angst, Hospitals, I'm an asshole, Illness, It's just light and fairly happy with a little light angst mixed in for the first bit of it, M/M, Pseudo-Science, Romantic Comedy, Romantic Friendship, Sacrifice, Shameless Smut, She's not, Smut, be warned, comes kinda out of nowhere, hella gay, just be careful, like all at once, skelepreg, then all the shit hits the fan, things have escalated a lot since the last time i messed with the tags
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-05
Updated: 2017-11-11
Packaged: 2018-09-28 09:20:07
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 30
Words: 91,942
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10085411
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CrushingOnSans/pseuds/CrushingOnSans
Summary: Red and Sans are roommates, and they're so similar that they tend to drive each other completely insane. So guess who works out a deal?Friends with benefits, no-strings-attached sex, I'm sure absolutely nothing bad will happen, right, guys?Official Arc 1coverby Becky on Tumblr!Official Arc 2coverby Ganz on Tumblr! (contains spoiler)Covers alsohereby gallifreyan-pal andhereby theamazingtrixy!





	1. Let's get drunk and do stupid shit, it'll be fun

**Author's Note:**

> Arc 1 - No Strings Attached (Chapters 1-14)  
> Arc 2 - Oh my god now there are strings made of sadness and they're being used to strangle me (Chapters 15-30)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [Song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aNKHkR67Pc8) of the chapter

“I am so fucking _bored_.”

Sans just barely stopped himself from rolling his eyes, casually lifting the remote and switching channels. Huh. Still shitty late-night TV. Imagine that. 

Red huffed when he realized he was being ignored, plopping down on the couch next to him and staring at the screen for a moment before huffing again, louder this time.

“What exactly do you propose I do about it, princess?” Sans finally said, electing to give in if it would make the other go away faster.

Red swung to the side, slinging his legs over the other’s lap and grinning laviciously. “Entertain me.”

“Fuck off.”

Red groaned dramatically, rolling off the couch and landing on the floor with a _thump_. “Let’s do something stupid."

"When I said fuck off, I didn't mean I wanted to do you."

Snickering, Red rolled again, ending up on his back and grinnig up at the other, who was trying his best to not look amused. "Let's play never have I ever or something. That's pretty stupid, right?”

The corner of Sans’ mouth tilted up as he glanced down at the other. “You take a drink if you’ve done the thing, right?”

Red nodded, looking puzzled, as though he hadn’t expected Sans to go along with it.

“Never have I ever been forced to share a house with an actual fuckwad.” He immediately brought his drink back to his mouth, chugging it and flipping off the other for effect.

Red snorted, then pushed himself up to stand, waiting for Sans to stop being a shit. If he'd been a bit less drunk, he'd have known that he would be waiting a very, very long time.

“Never have I ever been the most attractive Sans,” he said as he reached out to grab the bottle out of the other’s hand, but Sans was already taking another drink, winking at him before he set the bottle aside.

“That backfired on you, didn’t it?”

Red started to walk back into the kitchen, shouting back over his shoulder. “Shut the fuck up, you can’t lie during never have I ever, there’s like...a code.”

Sans chuckled lightly, settling back into the couch and taking another sip. “I wasn’t lying, though. Aren’t I just...the absolute…” he snorted, then frowned. “Shit, I had a pun, and then I lost it. Do you _see_ what you do to me?”

Red’s voice echoed in from the other room. “I make you forget puns? What the fuck does that even mean?”

“No, you’re just making me lose my mind.” Sans muttered, glancing down at his bottle sadly, having just discovered that it was empty. “Hey, can you grab me--”

Red appeared directly in front of him, a pair of bottles in his hands, and held one out to Sans with a wink. Sans stared at it in confusion for a moment before a grin split his face and he reached out to grab it, only for Red to snatch it back, just out of reach. He frowned, reaching out again, only for Red to pull away again, snickering.

“You fuckin’ asshole, will you just--” Sans made another grab for the bottle and missed, letting out a growl of frustration.

“Just what?” Sans wasn’t buying Red’s look of pure innocence for a single second, and he frowned deeply at him before pushing himself up off the couch, stumbling forward and trying to grab the bottle again. Red stepped to the side, nearly tripping over his own feet as he tried to hold it above the other’s head. Being nearly the same height, that didn’t really work out, and Sans reached up and grabbed ahold of the bottle, attempting to tug it away.

Red growled at him semi-playfully and pulled harder, managing to pull it a bit closer to himself. “I will fucking lick this so that it’s mine, asshole, don’t think I won’t.”

Sans gave him a look of exasperation. “Why the fuck do you need two? Just give it to me, for fuck’s sake, man.”

“I need two because I have to listen to your weird, deep-ass voice chattering on about shit that doesn't matter all the damn time. I might even need to grab a third one if you keep being a-”

“Fuck you, Red, just give me the damn--”

There was a snap of magic as Red’s tongue manifested, and he managed to get the bottle close enough to lick up the side of the whole thing, including where Sans’ hand held onto it, leaving behind a trail of red spit and causing the other to jump away in disgust. Sans made a face, slightly off balance from his sudden direction change, and glared at his roommate. “What are you, five years old? What the fuck was that?”

Red shrugged, taking a sip from the bottle and grinning at him. “It’s called winning. You should try it sometime.”

Sans narrowed his eyes, glaring at Red hotly. “Fine,” he grumbled. “I’ll just go get my own damn drink. Fuck you.”

Red snorted, setting both drinks on top of the TV before turning and stepping into Sans’ path, effectively stopping him in his tracks. “Nah.”

Sans gave him a look. “...’nah’? Seriously? All of the comebacks in the world and _that's_ what you went with?!”

Red just shrugged, stepping side to side and blocking every attempt the other made to get past. Sans growled, reaching up and placing both hands on the other’s chest in an attempt to push him away, only to have Red grab his wrists and spin him around suddenly, disorienting any strategic plan Sans may have had. They ended back where they had been before, but with Sans suddenly dizzy, stumbling forward and somehow managing to bang his head on the other’s chin.

Wincing, Red wrapped one arm under Sans’ ribcage, supporting him as he used his free hand to rub at his jaw. “Dude, watch it. That hurt.”

Sans just blinked, very suddenly noticing their close proximity. “Uh...Red…”

Red glared down at him, apparently still salty about the accidental hit. “What?”

Breaking into amused giggles, Sans whispered, “This is pretty gay, dude.”

“Sans, we _are_ gay. Shut the fuck up.”

Sans glanced up at him, winking messily and slinging one arm around the back of the other’s neck. “Why don’t you make me or somethin’, if you’re gonna be like that?”

Red raised a brow at the challenge in the other’s voice, considering. Then, with a mental shrug, he leaned forward, clanking his teeth against the other’s and snickering slightly at the way Sans suddenly went entirely still, a noise of surprise making its way into Red’s mouth as the arm around his neck tightened, pulling him in closer.

Red pulled back, breaking the kiss and snickering again as he noticed the way Sans’ head leaned forward subconsciously, trying to follow him. He noticed the other's eyelights hazing and suppressed a shiver, honestly too drunk at this point to wonder why that sight was so...he shook his head, ridding his mind of those thoughts. 

There was a long moment of rare quiet, then Red sighed happily. “There, see? That’s what _silence_ sounds li--”

Suddenly, Sans was kissing him again, stretched up on his toes with both arms around the other’s neck. His eyes were closed, and Red could feel the swipe of a suddenly conjured tongue against his teeth. He let out a half-strangled sound of surprise, stumbling back with Sans in his arms before his back hit the wall forcefully. He gasped from the sudden pressure, and Sans took advantage of the opening, his tongue wrapping around Red’s as he pressed himself forward.

Red let his other arm drop from where it had been hovering on the verge of pushing the other away and instead let his hand settle on Sans’ clothed hip. He could feel his every gasp of breath with their chests pressed so close together, and it was making his soul flutter in a way he didn’t even know how to _begin_ to categorize.

They broke apart, both panting and flushed, and they stared at each other for a moment, eyes widening as the full implications started to settle in. Sans made to let go, starting to back away. “I-I’m sorry, I wasn’t thi--”

“No!” Red flushed darker at how quickly the protest came out. “No, it’s...it’s okay. I...uh...I liked...it…?” he trailed off, looking at the ground and scratching the back of his neck awkwardly as he tried to find the words in his haze. “I...uh..” he laughed slightly, looking back up and into the other’s face. “I wouldn’t be opposed to doin’ it again?”

Sans looked shocked for a moment, then he grinned, his voice dropping into a more gravelly tone as he imitated the other’s words. “Oh, I’m Red, I talk weird, I wouldn’t be opp--”

“Shut the fuck up and either kiss me or go to bed before I deck you.”

Sans grinned up at him again, winking, then leaned forward, swaying a bit before pressing his mouth to Red’s. It was far gentler than he would have expected, a slow slide that had him relaxing back into the wall and pulling Sans with him. He half-sighed in relief; he’d almost been expecting his roommate to turn around and go to his room, just to spite him. It certainly would have been in character.

He hummed into the other's mouth, letting his eyes drop closed as one hand cupped Sans’ cheek, pressing closer for a moment before breaking away and beginning to trail kisses across the other’s face, smiling as he felt Sans relax into him.

The atmosphere in the room was growing into something warm and heavy, making their eyelights blow out wide and their breath come faster as they pressed closer together, hands drunkenly finding places to wander on each other’s bodies. Sans’ head was thrown to the side as Red kissed his way down his neck, his hands stroking their way down and hooking under the hem of his red t-shirt. For a moment, he just used it as leverage to pull the other closer, then his fingers were shakily brushing at Red’s spine, prompting a gasp of surprise and pleasure.

“S-shit, Sans…” he groaned into the other’s vertebrae, sending shivers down the other’s spine. “I just wanna…” he struggled to find the words for a moment, then elected to just _show_ him, spinning the other around and slamming him into the wall where he had just been pressed, drawing back from kissing him to give him a toothy grin.

Sans gave a strangled yelp of surprise as he was manhandled, then his face softened, and he smiled widely. “What, didn't you say you wanted somethin'?”

Red just snorted in derision at the other’s assumption, pulling Sans’ hands out from beneath his shirt and trapping both wrists in one hand before pulling them above his head, using his free hand to grab the other by the chin as he loomed over him, staring him straight in the eye with a predatory sort of look that he could practically _feel_ Sans melting beneath. This felt fucking _fantastic_ , like all of the petty arguments they'd ever had were being resolved, and he was  _winning_. “You. I want...I want to make you scream my damn name ‘till your throat’s sore, _Sansy_.”

Sans visibly shuddered, whether at the nickname or the tone Red had no idea, but he grinned up at him with the same knowing snottiness he always did. “What, are you just gonna talk about it? Or are you actually gonna--”

Red silenced him with a rough kiss, letting go of Sans’ wrists to push his jacket off his shoulders, marveling for a moment at the way the other looked without it; face flushed, eyelights hazy, tank top hanging loose over his shoulders, and a blue glow already shining brightly through his shorts. He felt a growing impatience in his own soul, and he hooked his fingers under the hem of the other’s shirt, pulling it over his head before kissing him again, pressing his fingers to all of the places where he knew _he_ had sensitive spots, trailing along the bare ribs and smoothing one palm along the side of his spine, drawing out a few breathless sounds that didn’t make it out into the open air, as occupied as Sans’ mouth was.

Red wrapped one arm around the back of Sans’ waist, pressing their pelvises together as he broke the kiss, burying his face back into his neck and drawing out some more of those _lovely_ sounds as he ground forward, groaning into the other’s bone as his own magic started to react.

Sans moaned aloud, hands clutching at Red’s shoulders as he let his eyes fall closed, shuddering under the other’s rough ministrations. He let out a whine as Red moved away from his neck, only to gasp quietly as the other’s mouth started its treatment down the front of his chest, licking along his ribs and kissing the scar that stretched across his chest, the same scar that Sans knew adorned Red’s own ribcage, and he was regretful for a moment that he couldn’t see it.

All rational thought flew from his mind as he felt Red palm at his magic, stroking along the length and pulling a strangled moan from Sans. He shuddered, one hand dropping to grab onto Red’s wrist, not pushing or pulling, just grounding himself in the midst of the overwhelming... _everything_. He felt Red’s mouth leave his chest, and he was confused for a moment until he heard a muffled _thump_ , followed by the feeling of his fingers grabbing onto the waistband of his shorts, and suddenly there was air brushing at his bare pelvis, and he clapped his hands over his mouth, letting his head fall back against the wall. He could feel the other’s breath against his hardened member, and it was filling his head with all sorts of buzzing highs that he never wanted to come back down from.

“F-fuck, _Red_ …”

Red glanced up at him, smirking as he saw the expression on the other’s face, his eyes squeezed shut and his mouth hanging open, blue tongue just barely visible from this angle. He reached up, gripping onto the other’s hip with one hand to steady himself, and using the other to carefully wrap around the other’s length, giving it one slow stroke in appreciation.

Sans’ eyes flew open, and he stared down at him, watching in apprehension as Red let his tongue swipe across his teeth, grinning lewdly up at him. Sans groaned lowly, letting his fingers slide up to cover his eyes as his body shuddered.

“Was there somethin’ you wanted?”

Red used the hand on his hip to steady the other’s attempts to thrust forward into his hand, still smirking up at him, watching the reactions of the other as he leaned forward, letting out another wave of breath near his sensitive magic. Sans let out another low moan, still covering his eyes, and attempted to buck forward again. “F-fuck, please, just...just _move_ , will ya?!”

Red snorted. Rude. “I can’t hear ya, sweetheart. You’re gonna have to look at me when you’re talkin’.”

Sans peeked through his fingers, eyes widening at the sight before him before he groaned again, finally dropping his hands and pressing them into the wall behind him, trying to get ahold of himself. “Fucking do something, asshole! _ShiiaaAAHHH!_ ”

Red licked up the underside of his dick, making eye contact the whole time and still smirking. Sans resisted the urge to cover his eyes again, instead scrabbling at the wall behind him in an attempt to find some semblance of reality.

Red wrapped his tongue around Sans’ magic, bobbing his head for a moment before withdrawing, swirling his tongue around the tip before engulfing the whole thing again. Sans was swearing under his breath, eyes wide as he stared down at the other before his back arched and he threw his head back, mouth opening in a silent moan as he felt Red hum against him, the vibrations making him want _more_ …

“R-red, st-st-stop, wait, just a s-second…,” he forced out, pulling his hips back. Red immediately pulled away, looking up at him questioningly as he licked a small dribble of blue liquid from the corner of his mouth. Sans reached down, pulling the other up to stand. He threw his arms around Red’s neck and kissed him deeply, the taste of his own magic making him moan lowly. He pulled back after a moment, panting slightly and squeezing his eyes shut as he concentrated through his haze of pleasure, reforming his magic into a soaked pussy and gasping as Red pulled him flush with the front of his body, grinning down at him as he realized what Sans was insinuating. “I-I want you to... _hah_...have the chance to put y-your money where your mouth is. Prove you're not j-just talk.”

Red smirked. “You want me to put my money on your di--”

“Shut the fuck up, you know what I meant.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't think I've ever been so excited to have [porn read to me](https://youtu.be/Xv8-n8jgQVQ) (THANK YOU FOR DOING THIS NARRATION!!!)


	2. Go put some goddamn clothes on

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Don't drink and sex, kids.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8nMFogciUno) of the chapter.

Sans woke up slowly, his mind moving sluggishly as his eyes blinked open. He winced at the light that was streaming through the window, clenching his eyes shut and rolling over. Fuck mornings... He stretched, his body feeling pleasantly sore for a reason that he just...couldn’t quite…

He arched his spine as his arms reached above his head, and his ribs bumped into something solid and warm. What the fuck?

His eyes opened again, starting out slowly and then flying the rest of the way as he realized what it was. “WHAT THE FUCK?!”

Red’s eyes flew open, apparently woken by Sans’ horrified screech, only to yelp in surprise as the other pushed him out of the bed. He landed hard on his hands and knees, falling to one side with a groan as he tried to finish waking up. “Sans, why are you in my damn room? You better not have Sharpie’d all over my face again.”

“THIS IS MY FUCKING ROOM!” Sans leaned over the bed to check that the other wasn’t trying to crawl back up. “Why the hell are you in--” His eyes widened as he took the other in, his hands flying up to cover his eyes and sending him to fall back into the bed. “Red, why the hell are you _naked_? Do I even want to know?”

“Wha--” Red looked down at himself, then shot to his feet, staring down at himself. He looked around the room, confirming that it was, in fact, Sans’. “Sans, if this is a prank, I’m going to fucking call your brother and tell him on you, this is just too far.”

Sans peeked down at himself, still refusing to look up at Red. “...I’m fucking naked, too. Red, why are we naked and why are you in my goddamn room?!" He made a face, covering his mouth with one hand. "Can skeletons throw up?”

Red groaned, backing up slightly. “No. Nope. No way. There is no goddamn way that I was drunk enough to sleep with _you_ … no fucking way…”

Fucks sake...fuck, what _was_ this, what he been thinking? With shaking hands, Sans reached down, lifting the sheets away from his lower half. Almost immediately, he dropped them again, pressing his hand back across his mouth and groaning. “Oh, _fuck_ …”

Red grimaced, not sure he wanted to know. “I did not stoop so low. Nope, never.” He was still backing away, almost all the way to the door before Sans looked up, making horrified eye contact. There was an edge of humor in his eyes, matched by Red's and tempering their disbelief. 

“Red…”

“I DON’T WANT TO FUCKING KNOW!”

“...there’s fucking red jizz all over my pelvis.”

“FUCK YOU!”

“Apparently, yeah.”

“SHUT THE FUCK UP, THIS DID NOT HAPPEN!”

Sans couldn’t hold back the slightly hysterical giggles that were cropping up at the impossibility of this situation. His hand was no longer pressed to his mouth, instead clutching the sheets around his waist. His eyes dropped, almost against his will, and the giggles picked up in volume. “Dude, you look like you got drooled on by a smurf.”

Red groaned loudly, prompting another round of laughter, and pressed his hands over his eyes for a moment. He joined in on the hilarity, disbelieving chuckles making their way past his horror and his somewhat wounded pride before he rubbed his sockets, looking up at the other in consternation. “Holy hell, I’m never drinking again.”

Sans flopped back onto his bed, staring up at the ceiling and still grinning slightly. The discomfort and humiliation that had been welling up in his soul was fading now that he could see that Red thought this was at least a _little_ funny. “You’re such a fuckin’ liar. Even I want to drink again, like right now.”

Red snickered, silently agreeing with the sentiment. “Well, I am going to go put some fucking clothes on, after I bleach...everything.”

“Pour me a shot, will ya?”

Red’s brow crinkled. “Of what? I don’t think we have anything strong.”

“Of that bleach, if you would.”

Red snorted, walking out of the room and shutting the door behind him. He leaned back against the door for a moment, staring blankly at the opposite wall as his mind worked at a million miles an hour. He shook his head, willing the many thoughts out of his mind. A shiver prompted him to wrap his arms around himself, looking down at his bare bones and shaking his head in amusement at the traces of blue and purple he could see on his ribs and pelvis. With a sigh, he pushed himself to stand straight, heading to his room.

~~~

Sans yawned, flipping a pancake as he stretched again, shifting uncomfortably in place. His bones were still tingling slightly from the hot shower he’d taken, and that stars-damned ache in his pelvis was making him wish he’d taken a cold one, instead. Fuck, it was so much different than it'd been with a dick. He had no idea that it could hurt this much. Though, as his memories we're starting to come back, he definitely remembered enjoying  _earning_ those bruises. 

Red walked into the room, his bones slightly pink from being thoroughly scrubbed, and immediately grabbed a pancake from the stack of finished ones, stuffing it into his mouth before Sans could protest.

“Dude! Get a fuckin plate and sit down, you’re not an animal.”

Red snorted, shooting him a wink before grabbing another pancake. “How would you know? You don’t remember anything.”

Sans raised a brow. So this was how they were playing it, huh? “Now that I’ve actually woken up, I remember _some_  things.”

Red looked at him out of the corner of his eyes, pausing with the second pancake on it’s way to the same fate as the first one. “...like what?”

Sans turned away for a moment, flipping another pancake before leaning casually against the counter.

“Never took ya for a softie."

Red flushed brightly, glaring at him. "I did not fuckin...shut up," he mumbled, stuffing the pancake in his mouth and flipping Sans off before grabbing a plate, piling up his pancakes and plopping down at the table. Sans watched him out of the corner of his eye, grinning slightly and finishing up the cooking before preparing his own plate.

“That has got to be the grumpiest breakfast-eating I have ever seen.”

“‘uck off,” Red mumbled around a mouthful of food. He swallowed, then raised a brow. “Crybaby.”

Sans glared at him as he put his plate on the table. He looked down at the seat for a moment, considering how to go about this without causing himself too much pain.

Red watched him, seeming confused. “Are you alright?”

Sans nodded absentmindedly, sparing him an annoyed glance as he realized what the other’s reaction to his plight was likely to be. He sat down carefully, unable to completely hide a wince as his sore pelvis scraped against the wood of the chair, his thin shorts doing next to nothing to ease the sensation.

Red was still watching him, frowning slightly. Then his eyes widened as Sans shifted again, making another face.

“Sans, seriously, are you okay? Did you--”

Sans gave him a look, and his mouth opened slightly as he realized. “Ohhh...hang on.”

Setting down his fork, Red hopped to his feet, jogging up the stairs and leaving a very confused Sans in his wake. Shrugging, he ate more of his breakfast before giving up with a groan and standing up, making his way to the couch and sitting down with a drawn-out groan.

There was a crash from the direction of Red’s room, then a _crack_ as he appeared in the kitchen. A moment of silence passed, then Red called, “...Sans? Where did you--”

“I’m in here!” he called, still thoroughly confused.

Red appeared a moment later, a small container in his hands. Coughing awkwardly, he held it out towards him, not quite making eye contact. Still confused, Sans took it. His eyes widened as he read the label, and he looked up towards his roommate, allowing a bit of gratitude to shine through his expression.

Red looked awkward, wringing his hands together for a moment before he forced himself to make eye contact and said, “It’s...uh...it’s kind of hard to put on yourself? But I totally...I get it if you don’t want me to--”

Without a word, Sans held the container back out with one hand, arching his back and using his other hand to pull his pants off, exposing his pelvis. There were still a few pinkish stains that no amount of scrubbing had been able to remove, and the edges were flushed blue, signalling the sore areas. Red winced slightly at the obviously abused bone, forcing away the flush that had cropped up at the other’s immediate response.

"What?" said Sans, pushing down his awkwardness with a small grin. "It's not like you've never seen it before."

Taking the jar and shaking his head, Red sat down on the floor in front of the other, taking off the lid and scooping up a small amount of greenish ointment. With careful fingers, he rubbed it into the blue parts of the bone, the healing magic beginning its work and prompting a sigh of relief from Sans.

Red glanced up, a small smile crossing his face as he saw the blown-out eyelights the other sported. He chose not to comment on it, instead getting more ointment and coming up onto his knees and starting on the harder-to-reach parts of the other’s pelvis.

Sans shifted slightly, trying to make it easier and ignoring the way his soul was warming up at the gentle ministrations.

As Red finished and made to stand, Sans reached out, grabbing the other’s arm and waiting until he looked at him.

“Thank you.”

Red flushed, rubbing at the back of his neck shamefacedly. “It’s no problem. I normally would have done it right after, but...I musta been pretty out of it. Sorry about that.”

“S’alright.”

There was a moment of silence before Red set the jar aside with a sigh. “Sans, we should probably talk about this.”

Sans looked away for a moment, reaching down and pulling his shorts back over his exposed bone. “...I know.”

Red sat down on the couch heavily, letting his chin rest in his hands. There was an awkward sort of feeling in the air that he wasn’t used to. It had always been...banter, with a side of animosity. He’d always known where he stood with Sans, and things had been simple even since they moved in together. Despite how irritating they'd always seemed to find each other, Red had been tired of living with his brother and Stretch. After Papyrus and Slim went to college, leaving Sans alone in their house, it had just seemed like the logical thing to do.

“Where does this leave us?”

Red looked at Sans helplessly. How the fuck was he supposed to know? He’d hardly had sex with anyone whose name he still remembered, let alone his roommate. How was this supposed to leave them? He snickered slightly, aware that that wasn’t the appropriate reaction but too confused by his emotions to really care.

“Let’s just have hate-sex whenever we can’t stand each other anymore.”

Sans grinned at him. “I’m not sure I could physically take that much sex, if I’m being honest.”

Red snorted again, leaning back against the couch and letting out a sigh. “Well, I don’t want to move out because it’s fucking difficult as hell to find a good apartment anywhere. We could just forget it ever happened?”

He glanced to the side, surprised to see Sans flushing in embarrassment.

“I’m not sure I can.”

“...Oh?”

Sans made a face at him. “Shut the fuck up, I didn’t mean it like that.”

Red grinned widely, then winked. “Well, I’ll certainly never forget some of that."

Sans picked up a pillow, tossing it loosely in his direction and snorting as Red used a move he vaguely remembered from a Bruce Lee movie to knock it out of the way. He smiled back at him, feeling something positive in his soul that he didn’t quite know how to identify.

“What about…”

Sans stopped himself mid sentence, frowning down at the floor.

“I don’t think we can even be friends with benefits,” Red said casually, trying to make the other laugh again. “Maybe ‘nemesis with benefits’, cause we sure as hell aren’t friends, right?”

Sans snorted. “You are not cool enough to have a nemesis. And you’re not mine.”

“Then what’s yours? Baths?”

“Fuck you, I bathe more often than you do. My nemesis is your fucking cooking, asshole.”

“Then doesn’t that make me your--”

“Just..just stop while you’re ahead, dude.”

Red chuckled and relaxed again, thinking over what he’d said. “Y’know…” Sans cocked an eyebrow at him as he paused, waiting for an answer. “We could do that. If you’re down, I mean.”

The other narrowed his eyes slightly, considering. “We could. But why, if I may ask, would you want that?”

Red shrugged. “I mean...do you remember that one episode of How I Met Your Mother?”

“...You watch How I Met--”

“Yes, shut the fuck up, Mr. Watches Glee and Thinks I Don’t Notice. Anyway, there’s this one episode where two of 'em are roommates and they drive each other fuckin nuts, but then they have sex, and it, like...makes everything better, y’know? They don’t mind the annoying things so much.”

Sans considered him for a moment. “I think I remember that. Don’t they, like...end up moving out because it gets awkward?”

“Yes, but this isn’t a TV show and we've never dated. That wouldn’t happen.”

Sans snorted. “Fair enough.”

There was a long silence, both of the fidgeting slightly as they considered the idea.

“Is this...is this really what you want?” Red found himself asking, surprised by how nervous it made him.

Sans didn’t look at him for a moment, picking at the hem of his jacket and staring at the ground. When he didn’t answer, Red looked away, trying to ignore the strangely tight feeling in his soul at the apparent rejection.

“Yeah...yeah, sure.”

His head shot up, staring at Sans in disbelief. “Really?”

Sans shrugged, turning to look at him. “Yeah. I don’t see why not. Like you said, we aren’t really friends, so if it doesn’t work out, we’ll probably go back to how we were before, just with a lot more dick jokes.”

“I don’t know how you will possibly fit more dick jokes into your repertoire, but hey, that’ll be exciting to see.”

“Yeah, I’m sure it’ll be _hard_ to bear.”

Red snorted. “I’ll have to think about that at _length_.”

“I don’t think you’ll be able to handle--”

“Okay, okay, stop!” Red said, laughing slightly as he waved his hands at the other, prompting a grin. “So how exactly is this going to work?”

Sans raised a brow at him before raising both hands, making the “OK” sign with one and sticking out his other pointer finger. Before he could do anything, Red grabbed his wrists, snickering. “I know how that works, dumbass. I meant the not-sex part. Like...what do we tell people, what’s off-limits, all that.”

Sans pulled his hands away, still grinning, and turned to lean against the arm of the couch, drawing his legs up onto the cushions so that he was completely facing Red. “We probably shouldn’t tell anyone. My brother and Blue would be horrified by the casualness of something they seem to see as...well, special, I guess. And I’m pretty sure your brother would find something wrong with it, and you know Stretch would be obnoxious as hell.”

Red nodded. “Makes sense. And I don’t think I have much of anything that’s off-limits, but… safe words might be a good idea?”

Sans raised a brow. “Aren’t safe words supposed to be for more...creative stuff?”

“Yeah, but it’s better to be safe than sorry, right?”

Sans stretched his legs out, letting them rest across Red’s lap as he relaxed back into the couch, looking thoughtful. “Makes sense. What about...Mickey Mouse Clubhouse?”

Red just stared at him for a moment, trying to determine if he was serious. “How about something _not_ disturbing. Like, 'butterflies' or something.”

“Butterflies works. It’s not as much fun as Mickey Mouse Clubhouse or anything, but it works.”

Okay, he was definitely screwing with him. Red snickered, leaning back and absentmindedly letting his hands rest on the other’s legs. “Anything you’re not okay with that I should know about?”

“Meninism.”

“If we’re supposed to have sex when we’ve had enough of each other’s bullshit, you’re gonna want to start taking your pants back off right about now.”

Sans snickered, pushing himself up on his hands and grinning at him. He lifted one leg, looping it around the back of Red’s neck and winking. “Sure thing, Johnny Bravo. Get to it.”

Red flexed one arm, lifting the other to card through his imaginary hair.

Sans snorted, withdrawing his leg and using it to lightly kick at his side, cutting him off as Red caught his ankle, tugging hard and making him fall onto his back, laughing. Red grinned at him, coming up onto his knees and looming over him. “You’re absolutely sure you’re okay with this, right?”

Sans barely had time to nod before Red was trailing his fingers down the other’s sides, looking curiously at his reactions. Sans sighed at the feeling, letting his eyes drift shut before he murmured, “I’m still too sore to--”

“I know. I just wanted to see...well, I’ve always been kinda curious about exactly how different we are.” Red’s hands reached the bottom of the other’s shirt, and he paused, looking up at Sans’ face. “May I?”

In answer, Sans arched his back, making it easier for Red to pull his shirt up over his ribs. He watched the other warily, doing his best not to flush as he tried to figure out where he was going with this. His jacket slipped down off his shoulders, but he didn’t seem to notice as Red ran his hands over every inch of bone he could reach, taking note of which places prompted the most reaction. When he reached the other’s scar, he paused, looking up nervously before very lightly drawing the flats of his fingers across it, not wanting to hurt him.

Sans groaned lowly, shifting into the feeling and making Red grin. He lowered his head, planting a kiss on the spot before continuing his explorations, rubbing along the bottommost ribs in a way he knew _he_ loved. Sans hummed in contentment, then reached down, taking the other by the wrist and guiding his hands over slightly, pressing his fingers down into a spot that had his eyelights hazing over.

Red grinned roguishly, going after the spot repeatedly as his other hand wandered down to Sans’ spine.

Sans arched into the attentions, letting out a small sound that made Red grin. He let his touches grow softer again, shifting slightly so that he could reach up to Sans’ shoulders, drawing his fingers right under the edge of where his shirt was pressed up. Then he sat back, withdrawing completely from the other’s space and letting his legs drop off the side of the couch again. Sans looked at him questioningly, the light from his hazed eyes reflecting off the white expanse of his sternum. Red just looked at him for a moment, unwilling to admit how much he was enjoying the sight, before he motioned for the other to come closer.

Sans sat up, looking confused, before Red reached out, pulling him over and pushing him to turn around, settling him half-across his lap before he switched on the TV. He kept up the light touches, keeping them mostly innocent as he felt Sans relaxing into him.

He looked down, seeing that the other still looked confused, then he shrugged, stopping for a moment before grabbing the afghan and pulling it over them. “We have to get used to each other somehow, or this is never gonna stop being awkward.”

After a moment of thought, Sans shrugged, apparently deciding to go with it, and settled back against him, watching the show as Red continued to trace the lines of his body.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Narration](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d0SnTqe9H1M&feature=youtu.be) of this chapter!


	3. Apparently, sex works wonders. Go figure.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is my favorite thing to write right now XD
> 
> Also, Sans is an asshole (but so is Red so it's okay)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W0caEj8LGV8&index=34) of the chapter.

From the first moment that Papyrus looked between them and announced, “Oh! I know how to solve your troubles, brother! You could live with Red!”, Sans’ life had been one long string of irritation. Red, despite being probably his most similar counterpart, was the single most annoying person he had ever met.

He never did his dishes, he shortcutted directly into the bathroom without announcing himself or giving him any notice whatsoever, and he was _constantly_ bad-mouthing Sans’ entire world, acting like he was somehow better than him just because he’d had to fight tooth and nail to stay alive. The worst part of it was that if he wasn’t so infuriating, Sans would have been impressed. He knew for a fact that he wouldn’t have had the strength to go through some of the things Red had, but that didn’t mean he needed to _remind_ him of that fact every other day.

He’d been on his last straw with the other for quite a while, one more graphic pun or insulting imitation of his slightly-higher voice away from kicking the other out on his ass, his half of the rent be damned. He’d tried all of the advice that Papyrus had given him to find common ground, but nothing fucking made a difference, and he was _done_.

Right up until they finally found something that actually seemed to work.

“Holy _fuck_ , Red, I-I’m _so_ close--”

It worked a little _too_ well, if he was being totally honest.

He was panting, eyes squeezed shut and his arms holding tightly around the other’s neck. Red planted a sloppy kiss on his neck, and Sans arched up, his head falling back into the pillow as his mouth opened in a silent moan. There was a loud curse, then Red was following him, still swearing under his breath as he emptied inside the other.

They lay there for a moment, catching their breath, before their magic dissipated and Red rolled to the side, chest heaving.

“Shit, Sans. Remind me to piss you off with my shitty jokes more often.”

He laughed breathlessly, eyes blinking open as he turned to look at his alternate, taking in the huge grin the other sported. Red held out one arm, and Sans groaned before forcing himself to turn over, practically throwing his upper half over the top of Red’s.

Red wheezed dramatically, and Sans smacked him without even raising his head. Red snorted, manhandling him until he was tucked into his side more comfortably.

The first few times, the cuddling had been weird as hell, but Red had insisted on it. He’d said something about “aftercare”, but Sans had just rolled his eyes, pretty sure the other had probably googled “how to be a good dom” at some point, despite the fact that their relationship was…

Well, Sans didn’t know _what_ it was, but there was no fucking way he was a sub.

“Hey, Red?”

“What?”

“Wanna hear some science?”

Red gave him a long-suffering sort of look that nearly had him breaking into giggles, but he managed to keep a straight face, keeping his eyes wide and innocent-looking.

“Do I have a choice?”

“Nope," he said, popping the P.

Red heaved a sigh, tightening the arm that wrapped around the back of Sans’ rib-cage for a moment before he seemed to resign himself to his fate. “Fine. Tell me some science.”

“Well, I don’t know how extensive your anatomy classes were when you were in high school, but there’s this really cool thing called a cli--”

“Do you ever shut the fuck up? You came twice, I don’t know why you’re complaining.”

"Hm...that's what you think," Sans snickered, yawning widely before letting his head drop back into the crook of Red’s shoulder. “Do I have anything going on today? I never want to get out of bed, if I can help it.”

Red shifted slightly, probably searching for his phone with his free hand. Sans snickered, realizing that it was probably still in the other’s pants pocket. “I think your phone’s in the kitchen.” Red paused, then mumbled a curse, shifting again like he was about to sit up. Sans clutched onto him, weaving his fingers into the spaces between his ribs. “Don’t you fucking dare, I’m comfortable.”

Red snorted. “You’re not falling asleep in my bed again. I couldn’t get you out for the whole night last time.”

“Why is that a problem?” Sans asked, his mock-pout firmly in place.

“It’s _my_ fucking bed, asshole. You can’t sleep in it.”

Sans snickered lightly, fully aware of the fact that if he wanted to sleep in Red’s bed, the other couldn’t do a damn thing to stop him. “Seriously, though, do you know if we’ve got anything else going on today?”

Red hummed thoughtfully. “I was going to check my phone, but...I think I have dinner with my brother tonight. Did you get invited to that?”

Sans groaned, then pushed himself up to sit, rubbing his eyes as he tried to keep the bitterness out of his voice. “Yes. Blue invited me. He said he didn’t want me to be lonely, since ‘everyone else’ is going.” He carefully untangled his legs from Red’s, crossing them and rubbing his face some more. “Fuck, Papyrus needs to finish college _now_.”

Red glanced over at him, smiling softly. He would never, in a million years, admit it aloud, but Sans really was gorgeous. His rib-cage was a little disproportionately wide, maybe, but his unmarked bones gleamed in the dim light coming from the window, and there was a grace to the way he carried himself that made you sort of forget about what few imperfections he did seem to have. Red wondered, for a moment, if _he_ looked that good, then shook his head, pushing the thought out of his mind. “It might be a while. Isn’t he getting his Bachelor’s?”

Sans looked back at him, and he quickly wiped the smile from his face, doing his best to look vaguely irritated. It got more difficult as Sans sighed happily, pushing himself out of bed and standing, stretching his arms above his head and squeezing his eyes shut before speaking, his voice full of pride.

“His Master’s, actually. He’s so fucking cool.”

Red let his gaze wander as Sans stretched, taking in the curves of his spine and the evidence of himself that was all over his pelvis. Sans snickered, and he tore his eyes up to the other’s face, not missing the shit-eating grin the other was giving him. Fuck him, he’d caught him doing the same thing more than once. “You’re like a one-man cult when it comes to Papyrus, dude. It’s creepy.”

Sans raised a brow, then put one hand on his hip, waving his other arm dramatically as his voice dropped into a more gravelly tone. “Oh, Boss, hey, you’re amazing, did you know that, heh heh, did you need anything? Coffee? Lasagna? Someone to be your bitch? Oh, wait, heh, I’m already your--”

Red picked up his pillow, chucking it across the room. He narrowly missed Sans, who was now nearly doubled over in laughter.

“I do not talk like that! What the fuck are you doing with your arms?!”

Sans did his best to straighten up, repeating his earlier gestures and adding a snap of his fingers and a dopey look on his face for effect before his expression dissolved back into giggles.

Red growled mock-angrily, standing up and crossing the room. He grabbed Sans’s wrists, trapping them by his sides as he continued to mock him, though the effectiveness was much lessened by the apparent hilarity he was descending into. Sans stumbled forward slightly, the laughter becoming too much to stand straight, and ran face-first into Red’s chest. He burst out laughing, trying to steady the other and keep his own balance at the same time.

“It wasn’t even that fucking funny, calm down!”

Still laughing breathlessly, Sans didn’t bother to move his forehead from Red’s bare sternum. Red grinned down at him, still holding onto his wrists and suppressing the old urge to push him off. After a moment, Sans seemed to get ahold of himself, straightening up and winking. “Can’t bite at the accuracy, though.”

Red rolled his eyes, leaning back slightly to look the other up and down. “Well if we’re going to dinner, you are definitely going to need a shower.”

Sans winked. “Wanna join me?”

Red just rolled his eyes, letting go of the other’s wrists and swatting him on the sacrum as he went to leave the room. Sans yelped and spun around, but Red had already shut himself in his closet, holding the door closed to prevent any revenge-based tricks.

~~~

Red hummed quietly, stretching up on his toes to put away a plate. He growled under his breath when his arm fell just short of reaching, and, frowning, he crawled up onto the counter. He let out a shout of victory as this allowed him to reach, the sound covering up the _crack_ of magic that signaled Sans’ arrival.

Sans raised a brow as he saw that the other was actually putting away dishes. Clean ones, too. Wow. He’d definitely have to see about having sex more often if this was the result. That would certainly be a hardship.

He snickered at the unintentional pun, catching Red’s attention. He turned, flushing slightly at the position the other had caught him in. “Hey...How’re things?”

Sans smirked, leaning back against the kitchen table to watch him. “Pretty damn good. Nice view I’ve got here, at least.”

Red’s blush darkened, and he flipped Sans off, turning to hop off the counter before he felt the hold of blue magic on his soul. Eyes widening in surprise, he looked at Sans, confused, only for his mouth to fall open slightly at the look on the other’s face.

Sans crossed the room in a few quick steps, planting his hands on either side of Red and grinning up at him, a devious look in his eyelights.

Red groaned in response, making a face. “You literally _just_ took a shower.”

Sans leaned forward, going on tiptoe to wrap his arms around the back of Red’s neck and pulling him down so they were face-to-face. “I’m not planning to get messy again.”

Red found himself being pulled into a deep kiss, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth despite the long-suffering annoyance he was trying to portray. Sans pulled back, grinning up at him again, and Red raised a brow. “Is this because I was putting away the dishes? Because if so, are there any other chores I can do?”

Sans clapped one hand over the place where his soul was hidden, feigning shock. “Who are you, and what have you done with Red?”

As straight-faced and monotone as he could manage, Red replied, “I killed him. Gruesomely.”

Sans gasped happily, giving him another kiss before exclaiming, “Thank you _so_ much!”

Red snorted, reaching down and cupping Sans’ cheeks, closing his eyes and kissing him deeply again.

He could feel Sans’ hands trailing along his sides, and he shifted into the feeling, smiling against the other’s teeth. Sans was humming contentedly, and it was making his soul swell with the peacefulness of it. He didn’t think he’d ever found anything as easy and uncomplicated as this, and it was fucking amazing.

They broke apart for a moment, and Red felt the blue magic holding his soul fade, leaving him feeling even lighter than he had before. He took the opportunity to hop down from the counter, hands dropping to Sans’ waist and pulling him closer, walking them towards the living room at the same time. Sans kissed him again, letting himself be guided backwards into the living room.

They stumbled to the couch, Sans turning them at the last moment so that it was Red who fell backwards onto the cushions. He pushed himself back up to sit, propping himself up with one hand as he adjusted his position, his free hand wrapping around Sans’ back, pulling him into his lap.

Sans groaned softly, relaxing down into Red and letting his arms rest on the back of the couch behind the other’s head. Red could feel the weight of his tongue forming in his mouth, and, almost in answer, felt Sans’ prodding at his teeth. Without hesitation, he opened his mouth, allowing the other entrance. His hands dropped to the hem of the other’s shirt, pushing it up slightly and tracing the lines of his vertebrae. Sans let out another small noise, pressing himself harder against the other and grinding down with his pelvis.

They broke apart, panting slightly, and Red kissed the underside of Sans’ chin, fingers still running along under his shirt, mapping out every curve and minuscule dent, memorizing the way it felt to--

_RIIINNNGGGGGG!!!!_

They both jumped violently at the sudden noise, Sans’ eyelights shrinking to embarrassed pinpricks and Red tightening his hold on the other a bit too hard before they realized what it was. Red cursed under his breath, lifting both his pelvis and Sans into the air for a moment to retrieve his phone, giving the other an apologetic look.

“Hullo?” His voice came out huskier than normal, and he cleared his throat quickly, ignoring Sans’ snickering.

Sans sighed slightly in disappointment as the positively _dulcet_ tones of Fell’s shouting came from the phone’s speaker. He couldn’t make out what was being said, but Red grimaced, free arm still wrapped around the back of Sans’ hips. He shifted slightly, hissing as their pelvises ground together again.

Sans could feel the beginnings of a _wonderful_ idea taking shape in the back of his head.

“Yeah, Boss, I know. I think Sans is coming too, I’ll just get him to…” Red’s voice faltered as he caught the mischievous look in the other’s eyelights. His eyes narrowed, but he continued talking, not about to let his brother know exactly how close his roommate was right now. “...to grab it on his way out.”

Sans leaned forward all too deliberately, eyes locked on Red’s as he dropped his hands to the hem of the other's shirt. It was easy to pinpoint the exact moment his larger alternate realized what was going on, his arm tightening slightly and his eyes widening as he seemed to be considering whether or not to throw Sans off. Before he could reach any sort of decision, Sans pushed his shirt up to his clavicle, licking a solid stripe up the other’s sternum.

Red glared down at him, teeth clenched against the groan that was wanting to make its way to the surface. Sans kissed his way along his rib-cage, arching up every so often to press their chests together as he left soft bites along the other’s cervical vertebrae.

“Sure thing, Boss!” Sans heard Red choke out, and he stifled a snicker at the panicked tone of his voice. Dropping his hands, he rubbed firmly along Red’s iliac crests, drawing out a soft sound that immediately had the other clapping a hand over his mouth. Sans looked up, eyes wide and full of innocence, as though wondering why Red would possibly be glaring at him right now. In response, Red unhooked the arm from around his waist, pushing him off the couch before flipping him off.

Sans grinned, sitting up quickly and pushing himself up onto his knees right in front of the other. Smirking, he hooked his fingers into the waistband of Red’s pants, and Red kicked out at him halfheartedly, distracted by whatever his brother was saying to him.

“No, I don’t think we’re going togeeaagh!”

In one smooth motion, Sans managed to pull Red’s shorts down to his knees and draw his tongue up the front of his pubic symphysis. Red arched into the air, letting out a very loud and obvious groan into the phone that had Sans snorting with laughter, smiling widely up at him.

Red cleared his throat in a very dignified sort of way, then said, “Sorry, Boss. I...uh...stubbed my toe. Yeah, I know.”

Grinning wickedly, Sans repeated the motion, this time accompanying it with running his hands along the inside of the other’s femurs. Red managed to stay quiet this time, but he couldn’t seem to stay still, his free hand gripping onto the couch cushion so hard Sans was surprised there weren’t holes already present, and his pelvis was shaking slightly, as though he were resisting the urge to thrust forward into the the sensation.

“Yeah, Boss, that sounds great but I reallyhavetogoI’lltalktoyoulaterbye!” Red practically punched the off button, collapsing back into the couch in frustration. “You _motherfucker!_ ”

Sans snickered, planting a quick kiss right on the most sensitive part of Red’s pelvis before settling back onto his legs. He raised one arm, looking at an imaginary watch, then exclaimed, “Well, would you look at the time, don’t we have a dinner party to go to?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Narration](https://youtu.be/QwkZgipjahU) for this chapter!


	4. Who the fuck thought this was a good idea? (me)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As usual with my writing, everyone's a little bit of an asshole. Even Blue, honestly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EOV1ZuCEkew) of the chapter.

“WHO THE FUCK DO YOU THINK YOU ARE!?”

Sans did his best to stifle his giggles at the scene, the sight of his brother’s more angry alternate losing his shit over something like this almost more than he could handle.

“Fell, please watch your language. It’s not that big of a deal!” Blue was holding his hands out in a placating sort of gesture, desperately trying to resolve the situation before it got out of hand.

Razz, however, was always one to aim for making things get out of hand. He smirked up at Fell, kicking his legs up onto the table confidently. “I think I’m the best, bitch. Pay up.”

Fell stood very suddenly, flipping the board and making Blue jump back in surprise as Razz laughed. “Fell!”

“SHUT THE FUCK UP! I HATE MONOPOLY!”

Stretch had one hand pressed to his mouth, shoulders shaking and eyelights wavering as he fairly wheezed with laughter. “F-fell, please--” he tried, but he wasn’t able to get more than that out before he started laughing again, dissolving into snorts as Fell spun around and stomped angrily into the kitchen, passing Sans on the way.

“Goin’ to jail, Fell?”

“FUCK YOU!”

There was a pause in which everyone in the room caught their breath from their laughter, Blue glaring at them and fighting his own smile at the occasional crashes coming from the kitchen.

Red walked down the stairs cautiously, peeking to see if his brother was still in the room and looking confused until he saw the self-important look on Razz’s face. He heaved a sigh, shortcutting the rest of the way and handing Stretch the blanket he had asked him to grab. “Razz, do you _have_ to start shit every time you talk to each other?”

Razz grinned, pulling his legs off the table and stretching. “Of course I do. These dinners would be a waste of my time if I didn’t get a little entertainment out of them.”

Blue snorted, and Razz amended his expression to look a little more repentant. Not believing it for a second, Red just shook his head, looking around at the scattered game pieces and weighing the risk of trying to make Fell clean them up. Evidently deciding against it, he shrugged slightly, sitting on the couch and putting his chin in his hands. “So, I guess we’re not playing Monopoly anymore. What next?”

“Let’s play Truth or Dare,” Razz said immediately. “I’ll go first. I dare Fell to be good at Monopoly.”

Stretch snickered slightly, but without looking in Razz's direction. “You can’t dare people to do impossible things. That’s just rude.”

“I hate all of you,” Fell huffed, stomping back into the room and folding his arms, glaring down at his husband and his brother’s alternate.

“Love you too,” Stretch said, grinning up at him with the blanket wrapped around him like a cape. Fell’s eyes softened, and he sighed grumpily before sitting back down. “Why does your brother have to bring his fuckin sideshow with him to these dinners?” he mumbled.

Blue snorted, standing up from the table and coming to sit in the living room as Razz stood up, growling slightly. “I am not the _sideshow_ …” He crossed the room, sitting on the floor by Blue’s legs. Blue patted him on the shoulder, trying to hold in his grin again. “Of course you’re not, Razzy.” The other shot him a doubtful look, but didn’t say anything, choosing instead to grumble under his breath so no one could hear him.

“So…” said Sans, glancing over at Red before looking back to the rest of them. “What are we doing now?”

“I don’t think another board game would be a very good idea.” Stretch groaned, pushing himself to stand before crossing the room. Red and Blue immediately stood up from the couch, making room for him to sit. He snorted, but accepted the gesture, lowering himself carefully onto the cushions with another groan. “Because _somebody_ isn’t a very good sport. And you didn’t _both_ have to get up, I’m not that big yet.”

Blue tried to push Red in the direction of the couch, but he just snorted and lowered himself to the floor beside Sans. “There is no way I am sitting between your brother and your boyfriend. That’s just awkward for everybody.”

Blue rolled his eyes, squeezing onto the couch on the other side of Stretch from Fell, trying not to let it show how little room he had from their combined bulk. Razz snickered, adding to the problem by leaning back against his soulmate’s legs, effectively trapping him into the couch and earning himself a half-hearted glare. “Can we actually play Truth or Dare? That could be interesting.”

There was a long moment where they all just looked at each other before almost simultaneously shrugging. “I don’t see why not. I’m not playing though.” Stretch said, wrapping the blanket more securely around his shoulders.

Sans gave him a strange look. “Why not?”

“I’m pregnant and I don’t feel like it.”

“Fair enough.”

Red sighed slightly, adjusting on the carpet into a more comfortable position. “Who’s going first?”

Fell hummed lightly, then leaned around Stretch to look down the couch. “Blue, truth or dare?”

Blue sighed resignedly, then said, “Truth. I remember your dares from last time, Fell, and I am not doing that again!”

Red winked at Blue, causing everyone to stifle their laughter as Fell grinned. “Other than you or your asshole of a soulmate, hottest person in this room.”

Blue’s face lit up in a blush as Razz snorted. “Does that mean you think I’m the hottest person in the room, Fell? Because we’re both in relationships and this is kinda awkward.”

Fell didn’t deign to respond, looking expectantly at Blue, who appeared to be floundering. Sans grinned widely, putting his chin in his hands before saying, “I think the look on your face means you already have someone in mind, right, Blue?”

Blue’s eyes flicked to one side, and Razz burst out laughing at the knowing look on the Stretch’s face. “It’s okay, bro. It’s common knowledge, I’m fucking hot as hell,” Stretch said, nodding self-importantly and patting his swollen stomach.

“Anyway!” Blue said, his whole face brightly flushed. “Sans, truth or dare?”

Sans, still snickering, straightened slightly before saying, “Dare.”

“Woo! Getting _Dare_ -ing!” Red cackled, prompting his brother to give him a frustrated glare.

“That was fucking awful.”

“Fell!” Blue said, huffing. “ _Please_ watch your language!”

Red threw his hands up in the air. “I know you weren’t even talking to me, but how can you live with Razz and still give a shit if someone is swearing?!”

Blue tossed him a half-hearted glare, then said, “Sans, I dare you to kiss Red. Sorry to punish you like this, but it feels like the only way to get him to stop talking for at _least_ a few seconds.”

Sans snorted, then he fully realized what Blue had just said, and his eyes widened. He was vaguely aware of Red freezing beside him, and he stifled the laugh that almost cropped up, trying to control his expression to be anything but barely-concealed horror.

Fell snorted, misinterpreting the awkward silence as disgust. “Blue, you could have chosen someone that Sans doesn’t abhore. This is just cruel.”

Sans’ mouth opened, about to deny what Fell had said, before he stopped himself, snapping his mouth shut and glancing over at Red. He didn’t... _hate_ Red. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to kiss him, it was just…

He shook himself slightly, rolling his eyes at his own overthinking. These assholes wouldn’t be able to tell a damn thing from just a kiss. He and Red weren’t all sickeningly lovey-dovey like _some_ people, and it was just a damn kiss. Steeling himself, he turned to face Red, who was eyeing him with an expression of some sort of doubtful anticipation, as though unsure if he was actually going to go through with it.

Sans leaned forward, planning to just get it over with, when Razz piped up. “Don’t think we’re going to let you get away with some lame-ass peck, you have to actually kiss him.” Sans shot him an annoyed look, but Blue nodded his agreement, sealing the deal officially.

Red huffed, but Sans just rolled his eyes, reaching out and grabbing Red’s chin before pulling him closer. He closed his eyes just before their teeth clanked together, so he felt rather than saw the surprise in the room that he’d actually done it.

They stayed like that for a moment, then Sans felt the swipe of Red’s tongue on his teeth, accompanied by a near-silent snort of laughter, and he pulled back, glaring at the other. Red just rolled his eyes at him, but Sans could see the hidden smirk in his eyelights. He realized he still had ahold of the other’s chin, and he dropped it like it was on fire, mock-glaring at his roommate before turning back to the others with a look that clearly said “bite me”.

“...Do you two need to get a room or…?”

Red glared at Stretch for a moment before shrugging, giving him his usual shit-eating grin. “Well, we already have a whole house, so…”

“Oh my fuckin…” Sans rubbed his eyes sockets, trying not to let himself laugh. “I swear to Asgore, Red, you’re not gonna _have_ a damn house pretty soon.”

Red shot him a wink and the finger, and Sans rolled his eyes, pointedly looking away. “Razz, dare or dare?”

“That’s not how the game works!”

“What, were you going to say truth?”

“...well, no.”

“So, dare or dare?”

Razz huffed, rolling his eyes. “...dare.”

“I dare you to give Fell a handjob.”

Stretch burst into laughter, then quickly smothered it, coughing when he saw the look on his husband’s face.

“Get the fuck out of my house.”

Red snickered, adjusting his position on the floor. “What’s wrong, bro? I thought you ‘admired’ him?”

“I’m serious, go away. You too, Red, I do not admire that sack of asses!”

Razz was snickering, trying to hide his laughter from his soulmate before giving up entirely and turning to shoot Fell his sauciest wink and a finger gun. “Wow, Felly-boy, didn’t know you felt that way about me.”

Fell had his arms folded tightly, glaring between his brother, Razz, and his husband, who was unsuccessfully attempting to hide his giggles. “I am entirely serious, Red. If you don’t go home I will be forced to severely injure you.”

“You’re severely injuring my heart, Felly, am I not good enough for you?” Razz asked, mock-insulted. Blue snorted, then tried to cover it up, kicking Razz half-heartedly.

“STOP CALLING ME ‘FELLY’ OR I WILL BE FORCED TO--”

“Punish me? I’m usually the dom, but for you, baby, I could be anything.”

Fell shot to his feet, and Razz made a tactical decision, scrambling backwards and around the back of the couch. Blue and Stretch had nearly the exact same pose, heads buried in their hands and shoulders shaking with the force of their laughter, as Fell chased Razz around the couch in circles. Their shouting filled the room, and Red and Sans carefully scooted back out of the war zone, trying to escape notice as best as they could.

“Well, it’s been fun,” said Sans suddenly, snapping off a quick salute and holding one arm out towards Red. He took it, still snickering, and pulled them into a shortcut. They landed in the middle of their living room, and Sans immediately pulled away, collapsing backwards onto the couch as he laughed. Red grinned down at him for a moment before stretching languidly.

“Well, that was an adventure, as always.”

Sans managed to quiet himself long enough to look up, his smile still stretched across his face as he admired the view. “Is it always like that?”

Red sat down next to him, throwing his legs across Sans’ lap and putting his arms behind his head, the very picture of relaxed confidence. “Yeah. Those two go together like oil and water. They’re way too similar.”

Sans snorted. “We’re similar, too.”

Closing his eyes, Red said, “Yeah, and apparently, we ‘abhore’ each other.” he snickered quietly, cracking one eye open and looking at the other. “Can’t believe you kissed me. I’m gonna have to brush my teeth for a straight hour to get the taste out.”

Sans rolled his eyes, pushing the other’s legs off his lap and pushing himself up to stand. “I didn’t even use tongue, not for your lack of trying. I don’t know where you get off actin’ like--”

Red sat up suddenly, wrapping his arms around Sans’ waist before laying back down, pulling him with him. Sans yelped as he fell, arms windmilling for a second before he steadied himself in his new position, sighing in exasperation before allowing himself to relax in the other’s hold. “Well, now you’re gonna need a shower or something, if you’re touching me that much.”

Red’s arms tightened, and he nuzzled into the back of Sans’ neck, grinning. “I mean, you’re gonna need a shower, too, right?” He kissed along the other’s vertebrae before continuing. “Since I’m giving you all my cooties and stuff, now, yeah?”

“Fuck your cooties, I definitely need a shower now,” Sans snickered, reaching down and grasping lightly around Red’s wrist. “But, I mean, I already had a shower today. Wouldn’t want to waste water, y’know? Global warming’s a bitch.”

Red let go of the other’s waist with one hand, reaching up and pulling on his chin until they were face-to-face. Summoning his tongue, he leaned up, giving Sans a deep kiss before pulling back, his eyes hooded. “I don’t suppose you’d want to just...share mine, would you?”

“Well, with a pick-up line like that, how could I resist?”

“Wanna hear a better one?”

Sans gave him a doubtful look. “Do I?”

Red cleared his throat, making a motion like he was straightening a tie. “Hey there. The name’s Red.”

There was a long pause, then Sans raised a brow. “What, that’s it?”

Repeating the tie motion, Red winked at him. “That’s all I _need_ , baby.”

“Go the fuck upstairs and take your clothes off, I swear to Asgore, Red,” Sans said as he pushed himself up to stand again, rolling his eyes and hiding a smile. Laughing, Red followed, grabbing Sans’ hand and tugging him up the stairs and to the bathroom.

Nudging the door shut behind him, Red let go of Sans’ hand to strip off his jacket and shirt, stifling the strange urge to giggle excitedly. What the fuck was wrong with him?

Sans pushed the shower curtain aside, leaning forward and supporting himself on the edge of the tub with one hand and he turned on the water, holding one hand out and testing the temperature. Red smirked, crossing the room in a few steps and smoothing his palms all the way up the back of the other’s spine through his jacket and shirt. Sans shivered, straightening up and turning around, draping his arms around the other’s neck as he leaned forward for a kiss, moaning softly at the feeling of Red’s tongue prodding at his mouth. He allowed the other entrance almost immediately, and Red pushed him back against the wall next to the shower, causing Sans to shiver, dropping his arms from the other’s neck. He pulled away just long enough to drop his jacket and pull his own shirt over his head before Red was leaving a trail of kisses and bites along his clavicle, hands tracing his ribs and spine. Sans moaned again, head dropping back against the wall to allow the other more access. His own hands gripped almost too tightly onto Red’s pelvis, trying to ground himself.

Red’s hands dropped to Sans’ shorts, and he traced the bone just under the hem, making Sans whimper at the teasing before he was pushing them off of his hips. Sans wiggled slightly, helping them down before he kicked them off, not bothering to see where they went before he tugged Red up for another kiss.

Out of seemingly nowhere, Red started laughing, making Sans pull away to look at him questioningly, a smile tugging on the corners of his own mouth at the sound. It was rare to hear Red really laugh, and as strange a time as this seemed to be, it just made the whole thing that much nicer, somehow. “What?”

Red’s eyelights were blown out and hazy from arousal, but the giant smile across his face made them seem brighter. “Nothin’, just…” his face started to flush as he tilted his head to the side, still grinning. “That was kinda cute.”

Sans could feel his face heating up, but he rolled his eyes, though he didn’t bother to stifle his grin. “You’re so fuckin lame…”

Red shrugged, face still brightly colored as he reached down, pulling his own shorts off before turning around and pulling the curtain aside. “After you, asshole.”

Sans laughed, stepping into the shower, letting out a content sigh as the warm water hit his bones. He turned around, smile lighting up his face, and held out his hands. “C’mere, dipshit. Can’t have shower sex by myself.”

Red’s expression turned to one of overly-surprised confusion. “Wait, we’re gonna have shower sex? I was actually gonna clean myself.”

Instead of the eye-rolling retort Red would have expected, Sans leaned back against the wall, casually throwing his arms over his head and winking. “You can clean me, if you hurry up and get in here.”

Red didn’t think he’d ever gotten into the shower so fast in his life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guess who forgot to link the [narration](https://youtu.be/kjDBHCbAsjc) for this chapter until just now


	5. Is it hot in here or is it just me?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finally, a chapter with the main event. I don't know why I keep trying to give you guys the teaser trailer, but hey, I'm making up for it now, I hope. 
> 
> Enjoy, sinners (pretty sure that's all of us, honestly)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h-VnldoWCnk) of the chapter.

Sans woke up all at once, sweat drenching his bones and his breath already coming in gasping pants that he couldn’t seem to control. It took a few moments for his sleep-hazed mind to realize what was going on, but when he did, he swore loudly and shot to his feet, almost immediately falling over as a wave of nearly painful arousal shot through him.

He took a moment to gather himself, forcing himself to take deep breaths and keeping his hands carefully up and away from the magic that had suddenly snapped into existence around his pelvis. “Damn it, damn it, damn it…” he panted, trying to regain his hold on himself. He pushed himself back up onto his feet, stumbling to the door and wrenching it open. Blinking blearily, he shouted, “Red!”

All was silent, and he cursed again, making the harrowing journey down the hall to the other’s room and practically slamming the door open. It was empty, and somewhere in the back of his mind he remembered that Red was at his brother’s house; something about the Royal Guard or sentries or humans or something, he didn’t fucking remember. All he knew was that Red wasn’t here, and he was about five seconds from losing it.

Another wave of heat ran over him, and he shuddered, hands ghosting over the soaked pussy between his legs. Immediately, he snatched them away, knowing that if he started, he wouldn’t be able to stop, and his last heat had been borderline painful to go through on his own. He managed to make the few steps over to Red’s bed, practically throwing himself over it and pulling himself so that he could look underneath, searching for a very specific box that Red had broken out amidst many stutterings and blushes last week.

As he searched, he felt the shift of something hard in his pocket against his leg, and he paused, confused. That wasn’t--

 _Oh_ …

He felt a grin splitting his face as his heat-hazed brain presented him with an absolutely fantastic idea. He located the box, lifting it up next to him as he rolled over, landing on his back on Red’s bed. He considered, for a moment, of trying to go back to his room, but then an image of Red coming home to find his room heat-scented and hazy blinked through his mind, and he made himself comfortable, opening the box and pulling the object out of his pocket.

He dialed Red’s number on his phone as he rifled through the box, the ringing making him shiver in anticipation.

“Hullo?”

Sans froze, his smile growing bigger as Red’s voice came over the speaker. “Hey there. I have a little bit of a problem.” He located what he was looking for, setting it aside as he kicked his pants off, letting his fingers run along the insides of his femurs as he awaited Red’s response.

“Are you okay?” Red’s voice sounded faintly worried, but he didn’t let himself dwell on it as his hands got closer to his goal, the other’s voice making the issue that much worse and so much better all at the same time.

“I’m not on speaker or anything, a-am I?” His fingers brushed over the sensitive mound, and he clenched his teeth against the feeling, trying to maintain his composure just for a few more seconds, just in case.

“No? Of course not, I was just gonna come home in a few minutes, Boss just finished up and he--”

“G-good,” Sans interrupted as he spread his legs a little wider, rubbing against the sensitive nub of magic at the very top of his cunt. “ _Hah_ \--I’m a little...a little h-hot, and _hmmm_ , you might want to c-come home before I m-mess up your sheets any more than I already _haaaave_!” He arched up into his hand, squeezing his eyes shut as he buried two fingers inside himself. He could practically hear Red’s flush, having made the situation as obvious as he possibly could without actually saying it.

“You know where I keep the...box, right?”

Sans nodded, gasping and only half-listening to the actual words that Red’s voice was forming, concentrating instead on the tone of it. He knew that tone all too well, and it was making his anticipation skyrocket as he added another finger, hips canting up into the stimulation.

“I’m going to assume you either nodded or you just aren’t listening to me, but get out one of the…” Red paused, probably trying to find a way to phrase the command so that anyone listening wouldn’t get suspicious. “Get out the smallish one. I’ll be there in a few minutes, try not to hurt yourself, okay?”

Sans slowed down just long enough to comprehend what the other had said, and it made him roll his eyes half-heartedly, still gasping. “Heh. Wow, that almost-- _hah--_ sounds like you c-care, asshole.”

“Of course not. Shut the fuck up. And...uh...don’t wait for me.”

Sans’ eyes shot open as he came, letting out a loud moan as he sped up, riding out the orgasm. He was barely aware of the click of the call being ended, tossing the phone after his pants as he panted softly, removing his soaked fingers as the heat dissipated for a split second, only to come back in full force moments later. With shaking hands, he reached for the object he had set aside, sparing a moment to check that it was the one Red had told him to use.

~~~

Red hung up the phone quickly as he heard Sans cum, stuffing his phone in his pocket and trying to force away the bright flush he knew was covering his face. He could feel his magic trying to form, but he suppressed it, standing and poking his head into the living room where the others were.

“Hey, I gotta get home, Sans is trying to make dinner and he can’t figure out the stove. Was there anything else?”

Fell glanced up from the sheaf of papers he had in front of him, frowning. “You know how to use a stove?”

Red grinned, trying to look casual. “Nah, but I can figure it out better than he can. He’s useless in the kitchen.”

Stretch yawned, pushing himself up to stand with some effort. “Speaking of which, Fell, I’m going to go make some...cereal or something. Do you want any?”

Fell snorted, turning his attention to his husband. “No. Don’t strain yourself, whatever you do.” Turning back to Red, he waved before turning back to the papers. The dismissal clear, Red pulled himself into a shortcut, appearing in his room.

His magic snapped into existence as soon as the smell hit his nose, the heat-scent powerful enough that Sans must have started his heat sometime in the morning and probably napped through the early hours of it. The skeleton in question was sprawled across the bed, one hand clutching the sheets above his head, and the other wrapped around the solid black dildo he was fucking himself on.

Red shucked off his jacket and stripped his shirt off over his head, crossing the room as he did so and leaning forward to loom over Sans. His eyes were squeezed shut, but they snapped open as Red pressed their mouths together, his teeth parting as a moan rolled through him. Red took advantage of the opening, pressing his tongue to Sans’ as he devoured the noises, reaching down and taking the toy out of the other’s hand before speeding up its pace, drawing out a positively sinful groan.

Sans clutched to Red’s bare ribs as his back arched, his moans increasing in both volume and pitch as he came closer to his second peak. They broke apart, and Red moved his attentions to Sans’ neck, whose grip tightened as he hovered on the edge. “P-please!”

Red reached down with his free hand, rubbing messy circles into the other’s clit as he pulled his face back slightly, making eye contact as he growled, “Cum for me, Sans.”

Sans slapped one hand across his mouth to cover the noise that came out, hips stuttering as pleasure washed over him, his whole body tensing at the feeling. Red’s ribs were creaking from the force he was putting into them, but he didn’t seem to care, staring down at Sans like he was the only thing in the world that mattered in that moment.

As his body relaxed, Sans took a deep breath, trying to calm himself as he felt Red remove the dildo from him. He wrapped his arms around Red’s neck as he was pulled up to sit, and he felt his jacket and shirt being pulled off of him before his alternate started to lower him back to the bed.

The thought of being bereft of contact, even for a moment, sent a shock of panic through Sans’ exhausted body, and he scrambled to maintain his hold on the other. Red gave a grunt of surprise, then seemed to decide to just go with it, shifting his hold on the other so that he could sit in his lap.

“How long do we have before you’re gonna want to go again?”

Sans relaxed, the leftover dredges of his heat wiping away any embarrassment he may have felt over his clinginess. “Probably like 10 minutes. It was just a few seconds for the last one.”

Red just nodded, gathering him more securely into his arms and shifting so he could work his pants off over his hips. “I’m gonna have to go get some supplies ‘n shit after your next one if I’m gonna keep up with you.”

“Okay,” Sans murmured, his head dropping forward to rest against Red’s chest. “Thanks for comin’ home.”

Red grinned down at the exhausted skeleton, letting his thumb trace circles where it rested against the other’s back. “It’s no problem. This is a hell of a lot more fun than watching the fuckin’ I Love Lucy impression goin’ on back at my brother’s place.”

Sans’ snicker morphed into a muffled groan as he felt his heat starting to spike back up, and Red shifted slightly, moving Sans’ legs so that he was more or less spread out over his own arousal. Sans looked down, feeling himself salivating at the sight of the other’s ruby magic, but he allowed himself to be moved, aware that this would take care of his heat much more quickly. He felt fingers lifting his chin, and he looked up to make eye contact with the other’s burning eyelights.

“Ready?”

Sans barely had time to nod before Red was lining himself up, gripping onto the other’s pelvis and lowering him slowly onto his length. Sans threw his head back, groaning, and Red took the opportunity to bite down on his clavicle. The sharp sting of pain made him gasp, and his arms tightened around Red. “ _Hah_...Red...please, please more…”

Red pulled away, flashing him a mega-watt, sharp-toothed smile before planting a chaste kiss on his mouth. “Hang on, sweetheart, I don’t want to hurt you.”

Sans nodded, mouth hanging open as he panted, his body heating up unbearably as Red carefully worked inside him. Despite himself, he wiggled his hips, trying to get more of the sensation, his whole body quivering as he felt himself being stretched out little by little.

Red groaned, kissing him again before he muttered, “Shit, Sans...you’re so _wet_ …”

Sans gripped onto Red, wrapping his arms around his neck and pulling himself as close to the other as he possibly could. Their ribs rubbed together, adding a new sensation to the almost overwhelming collection running through his body. “A-all for y-you, Red, please, please just _fuck me_!”

It took all of Red’s willpower not to comply, trying his best to be careful with the smaller skeleton. He knew Sans could handle a lot, but he didn’t want to push it and hurt him. Something about the thought made him sick to his unformed stomach. Finally, he bottomed out, and he held Sans still for a moment to let him get used to the sensation.

Sans’ attempts at bouncing grew more and more desperate until finally, Red buried his face in the other’s shoulder, panting as he lifted Sans’ femurs, taking the control from him before snapping his hips back. Sans was left feeling empty, but almost immediately after, Red was filling him again, the last of his self control having just about disappeared as he thrusted into the other, kissing a trail up his neck in between gasps and pants.

Sans was digging his fingers into Red’s shoulder blades, moaning loudly at the feeling of getting exactly what he’d been begging for. One hand slipped up, tracing the curve of Red’s neck and cupping his cheek, tugging him up for a deep kiss. He gasped into Red’s mouth as he began rubbing circles into his clit at the same time that he was hitting a spot deep inside him that he _knew_ drove Sans insane.

Sans could feel something coiling right above his pelvis, and he chased the feeling, arching up into Red’s attentions and rolling his hips as best he could in his current position. “Are y-you close?” he gasped out between kisses, borderline desperate for release.

“Yes. Yes, come on, Sans, just--” Red groaned lowly, speeding up slightly before continuing. “Do it, cum all over me, come on, Sans…” He pressed their teeth back together, and Sans leaned closer, wanting as much contact as he could get.

With a strangled scream, he felt himself tip over the edge, the clenching and fluttering of his climax making Red follow him, spurts of cum hitting the very back of Sans’ magic and making him groan. They just sat there for a moment, foreheads pressed together, before Reds magic dissipated. He took a deep breath before leaning forward, laying Sans down on his back and staying close to him for a long moment. Then he detached himself, watching Sans’ eyelids flutter. He probably had a few more rounds left, and Red would never be able to keep up without some help. He kissed the side of Sans’ head softly before pulling away completely, wrapping a blanket around his waist and taking a shortcut downstairs to get what he needed.

Sans just lay there for a long moment before one shaky hand raised to the place where Red had just kissed him. He swore under his breath, squeezing his eyes shut as his body started to recover and his face heated up.

He was so fucked.

~~~

Red finished applying the last of the ointment to Sans’ pelvis, setting the container aside and glancing up at his face. He was still out cold, which he’d said earlier was normal for his heats, but it still vaguely worried him in a way he wasn’t sure he understood.

Looking down at his own body, he considered for a moment whether or not he needed a shower instead of a wipedown, but decided against it as exhaustion pulled at his bones. Instead, he carefully laid in bed, wrapping his arms around Sans’ smaller form and pulling him closer, using his magic to grab a blanket and drape it over them.

He smoothed his hand over the other’s skull, letting his eyes drop slightly as he watched the little movements of his face. The heat scent had mostly dissipated in the time it had taken to clean them up, the source of it having been taken care of. He looked over his shoulder, checking the time before groaning and burying his face back into Sans’ shoulder. He was probably going to have to call in to work today.

He sighed after a moment, kissing Sans’ cheek quickly before sitting up, looking around for his phone. He should call in for Sans, too. Those afternoons spent imitating him just for the sake of seeing him get pissed off would finally have a practical purpose. Chuckling at the thought, he got out of bed, grabbing his phone and Sans’ from where it was...in his laundry basket? What the fuck had he even been doing before he’d gotten here?

After making the calls, he looked around his room, grimacing slightly before pulling on a random pair of boxers and a black tank top. He glanced at the other, considering if he should dress him or...nah, that would be creepy. He crossed the room, intending to crawl back into bed and sleep for a year, but he was interrupted by the sound of the doorbell ringing. Groaning dramatically, he forced himself to shortcut downstairs, wrenching the door open and coming face-to-face with his brother.

Fell looked down at him, raising a brow. “You don’t look very sick to me.”

Red groaned, rubbing his sockets tiredly. “How the hell did you already find out I called in? I did it like five minutes ago.”

Pushing Red aside, Fell entered the house, wrinkling his nose at the takeout boxes on the floor in front of the couch. “I have my ways. So why did you call in sick?”

Red followed cautiously, not sure exactly where his brother was planning to go with this. “Why the fuck do you even care? I thought you were my brother, not my parent.”

Fell cocked a brow at him, coming to a stop in the middle of the living room and folding his arms. He looked Red up and down, then rolled his eyes. “Okay, what are you hiding?”

Red gave him a look, folding his arms and rolling his eyes right back. “Nothing, asshole. Why are you here?”

“Because you’re irresponsible and you need someone making sure you don’t fuck up.”

Red opened his mouth, words spilling out before he really thought about them. “I mean, Sans is perfectly capable of letting me know when I've fucked up.”

Fell laughed aloud, looking back at the takeout boxes before returning his gaze to Red, who had a strange look on his face. “Even if he wasn’t exactly like you, I don’t think you’re going to listen to much he has to say. You never stop complaining about him.” Red just snorted, the look still on his face, and Fell sighed, turning to look up the stairs. “Where is the asshole, anyway?”

Red’s eyes flicked upstairs before returning to his brother’s face, shoving his hands in his pockets and forcing a grin. “Oh, he’s not home. He went to work early.”

Fell narrowed his eyes, looking Red up and down for a moment before turning and beginning to stomp up the stairs. Red’s eyes widened, and he followed him quickly, speeding around him and beating him to the landing, spinning around and attempting to block his brother from reaching the bedrooms. “Hey, what do you think you’re doing?”

Fell glared at him for a moment, then reached out and picked Red up under the armpits, setting him aside and stepping past him in a move he’d been using religiously ever since he'd gotten tall enough to do so. “You’re hiding something, and I intend to see what it is.”

Red growled, pushing him out of the way and getting between him and his bedroom door as casually as he could manage. “Why do you care? Stop being such a fuckin' interfering asshole and go wherever it is you usually are, where I don’t have to see you!”

Fell raised a brow, raising one hand and pressing it to his ribcage. “Wow, I’m very insulted. I think I might cry,” he said monotonously.

Red made a face, folding his arms stubbornly and stepping back so that he smacked into his door, creating a loud _thump_. “Fuck off, Boss!”

Narrowing his eyes, Fell stepped forward, pushing Red out of the way and opening the door, looking into the room. There was a long pause, then he turned back to Red, his nose scrunched in disgust. “Your room is disgusting. I don’t know how you can live like this.”

Red rolled his eyes, attempting to hide his confusion. “Thanks. Your house is full of ugly lamps, but you don’t see me judging your busybody ass about it.”

Fell made another judgemental noise, looking around one more time before stepping back, folding his arms and glaring down at Red. “What the fuck are you hiding?!”

Red leaned forward, looking into the room and seeing the empty bed, the clean blanket thrown over the messy sheets haphazardly. He straightened, somewhat confused, just in time to see Sans peek out of his own room, flashing Red a thumbs-up and a tired grin before disappearing back behind the doorway. Stifling a snicker, he turned back to Fell. “I told you before, I’m not hiding anything. Now will you _please_ get out of my house?”

“Fine. I don’t have time for a full search of your home right now, I have to go to work. But be assured--”

“Boss, you are _not_ searching the damn house, now or later.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Narration](https://youtu.be/MReoFOO6-K0) for this chapter.


	6. This is what happens when you go out with RottenBerry

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> LET'S FUCKIN PARTY, GUYS
> 
> Disclaimer: I've never been clubbing. If you're reading this for the accuracy I don't know why you're here in the first place tbh

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the [song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xi-i6t8oAOM) I was listening to while writing this so it's probably what's playing at the club, too. I highly recommend listening to it while you read, it really captures the atmosphere perfectly. 
> 
> Because I'm trash and I got bored: OUTFITS  
> [Red](http://www.black-leatherjacket.com/image/cache/data/Zip-pocket-mens-slim-fit-black-leather-jacket/black-leather-jacket-for-men-900x900.jpg) [Blue](http://i01.i.aliimg.com/wsphoto/v0/1827656029_1/TREND-MAN-NEW-2014-font-b-MEN-S-b-font-FASHION-SEXY-TRANSPARENCY-LACE-PATCHWORK-CASUAL.jpg) [Razz](http://g01.a.alicdn.com/kf/HTB1YJ5mHFXXXXauaXXXq6xXFXXXf/men-Punk-Style-Leather-Jacket-With-Rivet-male-Fashion-Night-Club-Clothing-Mans-Autumn-Casual-Jacket.jpg) [Sans](https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/a8/bc/9a/a8bc9a69456c85a79a6f6808c5673edc.jpg)  
> [BeckysHecky drew the outfits!!!](https://beckyshecky.tumblr.com/post/158346781874/i-dont-really-know-how-to-explain-this-other-than)

Years before, there had been only one set of skeleton brothers in Underswap. After an unforseen set of circumstances ending in Slim, Razz's brother, coming to this world and Blue taking his place in the other for a short time before being "saved", the others had begun to trickle in. It started with Sans and Papyrus, appearing one day in their front yard, shaking and crying with a look in their eyes as though they'd been through hell. Despite their tragedies, despite what they refused to discuss, they acclimated quickly. This world wasn't so different than their own, after all, with only a few minor changes in the world and some pretty major changes in personalities. Sans and Blue became close quickly, and Papyrus's kindness had left him unable to look over Slim's brokenness. 

They were followed, months later, by the Fell brothers. They'd had far more trouble adjusting, the same war-torn look in their eyes but seeming somehow...bigger. Deeper. Their differences were obvious almost immediately, in their LV and their aggressive defensiveness. But eventually, they were able to change. They were able to fit in. Fell, especially, found it much easier to change when he was around Stretch. 

The gap between their arrival and Razz's was much shorter than the time between the tale and fell brothers'. Where the others had come in pairs, he arrived alone and shaking, staring up at the sky like it was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen. Then he'd turned around and seen Blue, and his fear had dropped away, and the unshed tears in his eyes became tears of relief. Despite Stretch's disapproval of their history and Razz's past, despite Slim's fear of the person his brother used to be, it was hard to deny the happiness they brought each other.

However, despite the obvious fact that he wasn't the bloodthirsty abuser they all knew he used to be, Razz had still easily been _the_ biggest, most egotistical asshole any of them had ever met, including Fell. While this was still mostly the case, he had mellowed out to a truly amazing degree.

It was easy to see what had caused the change, especially if you knew Blue well at all. The smallest Sans had never really expanded on his history with the other, but it was far past easy to see how much he cared for him, how much he believed he could change. If you considered, for a moment, the kind of world and responsibilities Razz had come from, it was pretty surprising how quickly Blue had been able to convince him to let things go and not immediately try to kill anyone that looked at him wrong in this world. Blue never gave up on people, least of all him, and it _showed_.

There were some things, however, that even the most determined of them hadn’t been able to change. Not that he had ever really tried, to be perfectly honest. Even Blue, as innocent as he played, had his unique tastes.

“GET IN, BITCHES!!”

Red looked up from straightening Sans’ sleeve, confused. They were alone in the apartment, and Blue and Razz were supposed to be here soon to get them, but that hadn’t sounded like it came from the front door. He looked back at Sans, who shrugged, gesturing at the window. Red crossed the room and looked out and down, snorting at the sight of Razz leaning almost entirely out the window of a shiny black limo that was parked down on the street. When he saw Red, he used both hands to flip him off, nearly falling out of the car. A pair of small hands appeared, grabbing onto his shirt and keeping him from losing all of his dignity by crashing down onto the sidewalk.

Shaking his head, Red ducked back inside, smoothing down the leather jacket he had been forced to wear instead of his usual ratty coat. “Ready? I think Razz might leave without us if we don’t get down there.”

Sans snickered, holding out one hand. Red took it, shortcutting them to the sidewalk right by the car. Razz jumped violently, then growled before ducking back through the window, the sound of Blue’s laughter ringing out past him. Red stifled his laughter as he opened the door, stepping aside for Sans to precede him. It looked like the others had taken a page out of his book and gotten tipsy before they’d even left the house.

Shutting the door behind him, he slid across the seat, winking at Razz before crossing his legs and relaxing confidently. “I didn’t know we were going in style. You didn’t need to do all this just for me!”

Razz snorted, turning and leaning back against Blue, who was having a hard time not looking drunk off his ass. Razz had changed Blue nearly as much as Blue had changed Razz, much to his brother’s chagrin. “We always get this thing when we go out. We’re classy like that.”

Red raised a brow and exchanged amused looks with Sans, but decided not to comment, instead looking around the inside of the car. Not that he would admit it to the asshole who was currently smirking at him, but he’d never been in one of these before.  

“You two clean up nicely,” Blue commented, dropping one arm around his soulmate and uncrossing his legs as the limo started to move. Sans made a face, tugging on his sleeves again.

“For fuck’s sake, Sans, you can check the coat at the club, stop messing up your sleeves.” Red muttered, scooting over and fixing them for him before leaning back and turning his attention back to Blue. “Yeah, Boss told us this place we’re going to requires you to be dressed up.”

Suddenly, Sans narrowed his eyes, leaning forward towards Razz. Looking slightly wary, Razz held himself still, staring the other down until he said, “Razz, are you wearing eyeliner?”

“Shut the fuck up, I look hot as hell and you know it.”

Red snorted, silently berating himself for not thinking of doing that. “Where is this place, anyway?”

Blue shrugged. “Not too far. And we’ve got these special pass things, so we won’t have to wait in line or anything.”

After a few more moments, the limo came to a stop, and they hopped out, Blue linking up his arm with Razz’s so that he was walking more steadily. They passed the long line, Red and Sans following somewhat nervously. Razz walked right up to the giant bouncer at the front door, flashing him a huge smile and handing over the passes. “Hello, Howard. These two are with us, as well.”

“Hey, Razz, Blue, looking fantastic as always.” The hulking man unclipped the rope, letting them through. “Have a great night.”

“Give Linda my regards!” Razz called back to him as they walked through the door, the loud music immediately assaulting their skulls.

“Who the hell is Linda?” Red ask-shouted, thoroughly confused by the whole exchange.

Blue turned around, and Red realized, with the blacklights in the club making all of their bones glow lightly, that he could see the other’s ribs and spine through the front of his shirt. He wondered, for a moment, how anyone who knew him could possibly think he was the innocent little angel he so pretended to be. “Linda is Howard’s wife! She’s really nice!”

Deciding not to pursue the topic, Red turned to look around the club. There were lights flashing, music playing, nothing too different from the few clubs he’d wandered into over the years. Next to him, Sans was rocking his hips to the beat, his coat already off and his sleeves pushed up to his elbows. When he noticed Red looking at him, he winked, rolling his hips pointedly and making some sort of shaking motion with his arms that was probably supposed to be dancing-related.

Red ignored the bright flush that he just knew had cropped up on his face, turning to follow Razz and Blue out onto the dance floor.

Blue had let go of his partner, and had one arm in the air above his head as he rocked his hips from side to side. He turned around, dancing backwards and holding one hand out towards Sans with a wink. Grinning, Sans took it, spinning Blue around with a laugh and catching the other hand, ballroom dancing with him in the middle of a crowded club as though he did this sort of thing every day. Razz just snorted, slowing down to a stop and turning to watch them.

Blue tugged Sans closer, still bobbing along to the beat and letting his arms wrap around the other’s neck. Sans seemed to hesitate for a moment, but he let himself be pulled into the other, his shoulders going tense for a moment before he relaxed, letting Blue take the lead.

Red realized his mouth was open, and he closed it, his flush not being helped by the alcohol flowing through his system. He glanced over at Razz, who was watching the display with interest, and stepped slightly closer, intending to find some camaraderie in his slight embarrassment. Razz looked over, making a face. “I’m not dancing with you like that, asshole!” he shouted over the music, giving Red the finger.

Red rolled his eyes, returning the gesture. “You couldn’t pay me enough,” he muttered, too low for the other to hear. Then, louder, he said, “I can’t believe you’re not freaking the fuck out. You seem like you’d be the jealous type.”

Razz shot him a sharp-toothed grin. “I'm not worried. Blue just likes to put on a show."

Red raised a brow, returning the grin as his flush darkened before redirecting his attention to the others. Blue was grinding forward into Sans, who looked like he wasn’t sure if he should be enjoying this quite as much as he was. Red let his eyes trail down their bodies before his eyes jumped up to meet Sans’. They made eye contact, and Red winked at him, prompting a grin. Sans turned back to Blue, following his motions confidently as he seemed to realize that both of the others were far past alright with it.

Blue turned around and pressed his back to Sans’ front, arms going back over his head as Sans’ hands automatically dropped to his waist. Red could feel his mind short-circuiting at this chain of events, shoving his hands into his pants pockets to stop himself from grabbing Sans by the collar of his button-up shirt and shoving him up against a wall somewhere. He could feel his magic reacting to the mental image, and he forced it away, the drinks he’d had in the apartment (fuck spending $12 to get half-drunk inside the club) making it hard to concentrate.

Blue was looking at the two of them, a giant smile on his face as put himself on display, his hands dropping to trail down his own body before he grabbed onto Sans’ wrists, wrapping his arms more securely around his waist before he let his head drop back onto the other’s shoulder. Blue had always been a fucking show-off.

Sans looked down at him, and Blue said something to him, prompting Sans’ face to light up in a laugh before it dropped into an embarrassed cringe, eyelights glimmering with repressed mirth. Red couldn’t help his smile, though he tried to hide it from the others. The song changed, and the two dancing broke apart, still chatting casually as though they hadn’t just been grinding on each other. Blue had ahold of Sans’ elbow, guiding him back over to Red and Razz, but when they reached their goal, he dropped it, instead leaning forward to bury his face into Razz’s chest.

Red’s eyes flicked to Sans, and he just barely caught sight of the other suddenly looking away from him, his face lit up in a blue blush. He grinned mischievously, then turned back to see that the others had abandoned them, moving further onto the dance floor to dance together, Razz raising a brow at something Blue was saying.

“Hey,” Sans said, and Red looked back at him questioningly. There was no mistaking the intent in his eyes, and he could feel his magic reacting immediately.

“We’re in public,” he managed to say, and he could almost feel the area around his pelvis asking him what the fuck he thought he was doing.

Sans was just grinning up at him, and Red swallowed unnecessarily. “So?”

“So this is supposed to be a secret, and I don’t think fucking in public is really all that approved of.”

Sans leaned slightly closer, lowering his voice just enough that no one else would be able to hear it. “Y’know, there are probably locks on the bathroom doors.”

“The bathrooms are probably dirty as hell, and what if those two caught us?” Red asked, gesturing at Razz and Blue.

Sans’ eyelights were getting hazier, and he leaned forward, draping one arm around Red’s waist before he leaned up, murmuring something in Red’s ear that had his eyes widening, his magic almost immediately manifesting into something solid. “ _Fuck_ , Sans…”

~~~

As soon as Red locked the stall door behind them, Sans was on him, tongue already summoned and prodding at his teeth. Red groaned, spinning him around and pushing him into the door, returning the kiss messily. Sans’ fingers were already fumbling with his belt, his breath coming in heated gasps as he broke away from the other to look down, speeding up the process.

He finally got it unbuckled, unbuttoning Red’s pants and pushing them down just enough that his arousal was free to spring out, the ruby magic giving off a slight glow in the otherwise dim bathroom.

Sans wrapped one hand around it, stroking as gently as he could with how desperate he seemed to be, looking up into Red’s face with something akin to smugness. Red planted his hands on either side of Sans’ head, leaning forward until their faces were only centimeters away and letting his mouth stay open as he panted, trying not to moan and give them away to anyone else who might be in the bathroom.

After a few moments, he couldn’t hold it in any longer, and he leaned forward, burying his face in Sans’ shirt and groaning as quietly as he could manage. He reached down, rubbing the flat of his palm between the other’s legs and groaning again at the heat he could feel through the cloth of Sans’ pants.

The smaller arched into the attention, clenching his teeth against the noises that were threatening to make themselves known. He reached up, unzipping Red’s jacket and pushing it part of the way off his shoulders before Red raised his head, capturing Sans’ mouth in a deep kiss. While the other was otherwise occupied, he reached up, loosening the bright red tie he’d found in the back of his closet.

Breaking away, he pulled it over his head, reaching down and grabbing both of Sans’ wrists before pulling them over his head and securing them with the tie, having enough clarity of mind to make sure it was loose enough that he wouldn’t hurt the other. Sans groaned quietly, wrapping one leg around his waist and grinding into him as Red reconnected the kiss. Their tongues tangled together, fighting for dominance for a few seconds before Sans submitted completely, relaxing into him. Red reached down, gripping onto his hips and grinding forward purposefully.

Red quickly got Sans’ pants undone, pulling them down enough that he could see the blue glow of the other’s summoned magic. Red lifted Sans by the femurs, and he fell back against the door, his shoulderblades and Red’s grip on him the only things keeping him from falling to the floor. When Sans was high enough, Red lined himself up, leaning forward to press a hard kiss to his mouth and covering Sans’ lewd moan as he carefully pressed inside.

He was even tighter than normal from the lack of preparation, but he didn’t seem to care, canting his hips down to take even more of Red as he strained against his bonds. Red smirked against his mouth, pulling out slightly before thrusting forward again, making Sans gasp and pleasured tears come into his eyes.

He pulled back, the sounds of his quiet gasping filling the air for a moment before he half-whispered, “More, Red, g-give me all of it, p-please!”

Red kissed him again, repeating the motion of his hips before breaking away and hissing, “Fuck, Sans, the way you look right now I’d give you fuckin’ anything.”

Sans laughed brokenly, head thrown back as he breathed heavily, his whole body shaking as Red fucked him, the pace increasing as he pushed deeper inside him. He could feel his body tensing up, and he forced himself to relax, loving every moment of the rougher treatment.

Finally fully seated, Red paused, taking a moment to kiss his way up the other’s neck to his mouth before pressing their foreheads together, alternating between clenching his eyes shut and looking at Sans’ hazy eyelights as he started to move again. He let go of one of Sans’ legs, wrapping it around his waist before reaching out and thumbing the other’s clit.

Sans’ eyes widened, and he arched up, practically shoving his mouth against Red’s to muffle his scream. He could feel himself getting closer, and he was trying as hard as he could to keep quiet even as Red seemed intent on wringing every noise out of him that he possibly could.

Red returned the kiss, trying not to smirk as he felt the other’s hips starting to stutter as his body tensed. He sped up, keeping his eyes open to watch the expression in Sans’ eyes as he got closer, teetering on the edge for a moment before he came with a muffled cry, arching up so that their ribs were rubbing together. Red kept going, fucking him through the orgasm until he was following him, groaning into the other’s mouth as pleasure coursed through his body.

Sans let his head fall back, panting as Red buried his face into his neck, just keeping it there and breathing heavily as they recovered.

After a few moments, Red carefully lowered the other’s legs, pulling his face back and supporting him in case he was having trouble standing. He managed it, albeit shakily, then grinned up at him cockily. “You’d give me anything, huh?”

Red rolled his eyes as he buckled his pants before reaching out to help Sans with his. As the other shifted, however, a dribble of liquid ran down the inside of his femur, and Red paused, looking around for something to clean him up with before Sans waved him away tiredly. “Don’t worry about it.” He held out his wrists, and Red flushed, having completely forgotten that Sans was tied up.

Snickering aloud at the pun, he loosened the tie, replacing it loosely around his own neck as Sans pulled his pants up, ignoring the mess except for a small shudder of sensitivity. He watched, eyes lidded, as Red checked them over for any visible sign of their activities. As he finished, he reached out, grabbing him by the loosened tie and pulling him in for a deep kiss.

Red’s hands raised, cupping Sans’ cheeks as he returned the kiss. After a moment, he broke away, smiling at him, and Sans could have sworn he saw the other’s eyelights change shape for a split second. He brushed one thumb along the other’s cheekbone, then let go with a sigh, turning and unlocking the stall door. He glanced back, then stepped through, still grinning.

“Hey, Red.”

Sans jumped back as the stall door was slammed in his face, stifling his laughter with one hand as he realized what was going on.

“Razz! Hey! What are you...uh...what are you doin’ in here?” Red’s voice was pitched higher than normal, and Sans rolled his eyes at how badly he was lying. He backed up, pushing himself up to sit on the toilet tank so that Razz wouldn’t be able to see his feet if he looked under.

“...I’m gonna go scuba diving, Red. What the fuck do you think?”

There was a strangled snort of laughter, then Red replied, “Yeah, didn’t think that one through. Sorry, heh, drunk.”

“Did you drink more since we got here or something? You seem off.”

“Ooohh yeah, so much drinking. So much fuckin...well, I’m off. I’ll, uh, leave you to it. Have...have fun?”

There was a long pause, and Sans could almost imagine the expression of Razz’s face as he looked the other up and down. Red had never been a very good liar when he was drunk. “I will do my best. Get the fuck out of here and get some damn water or something, you’re gonna be fuckin useless like this.”

“Will do!” There was the scrambling of footsteps, then a door opened and closed, leaving Razz alone in the bathroom with Sans. After a moment of panic, he remembered he could teleport, and took a shortcut outside the door, making the skeleton standing there jump.

Blue looked at him with wide eyes for a moment before he laughed, clapping one hand on his chest as he recovered from the scare. Sans grinned, patting him on the back in apology. “Sorry, Blue. Old habits. Ya seen Red?”


	7. Something funny about boredom

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this one took a bit longer to post! I was working on some other stuff that you might have read, but here! I hope ya'll enjoy lol
> 
> [Song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CkjTo0OP-dk) I was listening to while writing

Sans frowned into the fridge, regarding their selection of leftovers with something akin to sadness. He’d never really realized how often shopping had to happen until he no longer lived with his brother and, unfortunately, Red had the same problem. They just got takeout most nights, since they’d basically given up on learning how to cook, but that didn’t lend itself to boredom snacking.

He straightened up with a sigh, looking around for something to entertain himself with. At that moment, Red walked by the kitchen, and Sans raised a brow, considering the frankly genius idea that had just popped into his mind. Shrugging, he walked into the living room, approaching the back of the couch and leaning down, propping his chin in his hands next to where Red’s head was resting. He watched the TV screen for a moment, then turned his attention to his roommate.

“Hey, Red?”

Red jumped slightly, glancing up and frowning at him. Sans smiled slightly, but stayed quiet, waiting for a response. “What?”

“Do you want to have sex or something? I’m bored.”

Red looked up at him, then shrugged, pushing himself up to stand. “Sure, I’m down.”

Sans grinned, stripping his coat off and tossing it over the back of the couch, making Red’s brow raise in surprise. “What, like right here?”

Sans snorted. “No, dork. I’m not cleaning the damn couch again. Go upstairs, I’m just taking my coat off.”

Red snapped his fingers in mock disappointment, then shrugged his own coat off, tossing it over Sans’ head before jogging up the stairs. Spluttering with indignation, Sans tossed Red’s coat over his own, shortcutting directly into Red’s room and tossing himself backwards onto his bed just as Red came in, panting from running up the stairs. When he saw Sans, he threw his hands in the air in mock defeat. “How the hell did you get up here before me?!”

Sans rolled over, propping his head on one hand and stretching out comfortably. “I know a shortcut, dumbass.”

Red huffed, folding his arms grumpily before crossing the room, plopping down on the edge of the bed by Sans’ feet. “Why are you so bored?”

Sans sat up, shrugging, and stripped his shirt off, tossing it in the general direction of Red’s laundry basket. “There’s nothing to do in this stars-damned house,” he huffed, leaning forward to help Red with his clothes.

Lifting his arms above his head, Red winked. “Well, good thing you can do me, right?”

Sans just sighed, lifting himself up onto his knees to work his pants down off his pelvis, leaning back down to work them all the way off. “Remind me why we live together, again?”

Fully disrobed, Red turned around, straddling Sans’ legs and pushing him to lie back on the bed. “Because you didn’t want to get another job to pick up on rent and I didn’t want to live with my brother and the smokestack?”

Sans shrugged, reaching up to loop his arms around the other’s neck. “I mean, you’re right, but I was more asking why one or the other of us hasn't...y'know...committed homicide.”

In answer, Red leaned down, connecting them in a kiss as he brushed his fingers across Sans’ bottommost ribs. Sans hummed slightly as he pulled away, grinning up at him with his eyelights growing steadily hazier. Red smiled in return, pressing another kiss to the side of his head before saying, “Because you’d get all lonely without me, right, Sansy?”

Sans let go with one hand to smack him on the arm, but he was laughing as he leaned up for another kiss, summoning his tongue to deepen it as his grip on the other tightened. Red put more pressure into his touches, finding all the spots he knew drove Sans crazy as he summoned his own tongue, returning the kiss. His hips dropped down, not moving, just resting against Sans’ as he focused on his upper half.

Sans smiled against his teeth, his own hands finding places to wander on Red’s body. Occupied as he was with his own ministrations, Red didn’t notice the touches moving closer to the undersides of his ribs until, suddenly, Sans had his legs wrapped around his hips, tickling him mercilessly as he laughed into his mouth.

Red pulled away from the kiss, trying to stifle his own laughter and escape the other’s grip, an impossible task without hurting him. “S-stop! That tickles!” he gasped out, trying to wiggle away and failing miserably.

Sans was still laughing, and the tickles only seemed to increase. “Well, _that_ does not sound like the safe word to me, Red, are you sure you want me stop?”

Heaving a giant sigh, Red gave up, letting his full weight drop onto the slightly smaller skeleton underneath him. He was half laughing, half groaning, and Sans couldn’t suppress his amusement at the sight. Slowly, he stopped, hands just settling on the inside of the other’s ribcage. “Anybody home?”

Red just groaned into his clavicle, a few stray giggles still making their way to the surface. “Fuck _off_ …”

“So...are we still gonna have sex, or…?”

“I am getting my own damn apartment.”

“Aw, c’mon…” Sans said, planting little kisses on the side of his head between words, “Loosen up, have a little fun with it. Sex is supposed to be fun!”

Red sat up just enough to make eye contact, frowning down at him. “Do that again, and I’m tying you up.”

Sans just grinned up at him, removing his arms from around Red and tucking them behind his head. “Better?”

Red pulled away a bit more so that he could look him up and down, grinning roguishly. “In every possible way.”

Sans’ laugh morphed into a strangled groan as Red lowered his head, letting his tongue roll out of his mouth and brush up his sternum, hands returning to their earlier places. Legs still wrapped around the other’s waist, Sans rolled his hips, grinding their pelvises together and drawing out a small noise from Red.

Sans began to remove his arms from their place, intending to cling to the other’s ribcage, but Red smirked, reaching out and grabbing his wrists. He held them down above his head, leaning up to kiss him before growling, “Don't make me actually tie you down, Sansy. I'm in control here, right?”

Sans sucked in a ragged breath, his eyelights blown out as he ground up into him again. “W-well I don’t see you trying to control much of- _hah_ -anything, so--”

He was cut off, letting out a strangled groan as Red let go of one of his hands, reaching down to pump at his spine. Sans reached up, slinging the newly freed arm around Red’s neck and tugging him down into a deep kiss.

Breaking away, Red grinned down at him. Sans rolled his eyes, but the effect was somewhat ruined by the way his body was arching up into the other, seeking out any amount of contact he could get. Red obliged, letting the hand on his spine move along his body, teasing his ribs and neck and arms and anywhere at all he could reach. After a moment, he leaned down, laying kisses on each individual rib, letting go of his other hand as he moved down.

As Red reached his spine, Sans threw an arm over his face, breathing hard. Suddenly, there was a creak of the bed, and he could fell Red’s breath on his cheek. He moved his arm just enough to see past it, peeking out at the other to see what he was doing. Red just smiled, reaching out to take the arm away from his face, planting a kiss on his knuckles and nuzzling into his open palm before he murmured, “Don’t cover your face, sweetheart. Takes all the fun out of it if I can’t see the expressions you’re makin’.”

Sans felt himself light up in a blush, and he resisted the temptation to cover his face again. Instead, he let his thumb trace the other’s cheekbone, gently taking in the feel of him before he looked up and made eye contact. There was a moment, just a split second, where he felt... _something_ pass between them. Something deep and understanding and honestly terrifying, and he felt his soul lurch with the foreignness of it.

Then he pushed it away and grinned, pushing down on Red’s shoulders and making him laugh, and the moment was broken.

“Yeah, yeah, alright. I’m gettin’ to it,” he heard Red grumble, and his shoulders shook as he laughed, making Red glance up at him with a grin before brushing his fingers across the tops of his iliac crests. Sans sighed contentedly, letting his eyes flutter shut as he felt Red’s summoned tongue press against his pubic symphysis.

He attempted to arch up into the feeling, but Red was holding onto his hips, keeping him firmly in place as he continued his tortuously slow touches. Sans wiggled in place for a moment before giving up, throwing his head back and resigning himself to doing exactly what Red wanted of him.

Red smiled at the submission, brushing his hands across every inch of bone he could reach before leaning up, kissing his way back up Sans’ ribs before he stopped right above his face. He noticed that the other’s eyes were closed, and he grinned, putting his face as close to his as possible before loudly saying, “You better not be fallin’ asleep up here, or I am going to be very-- _oof!”_

Sans jumped violently, not expecting the voice so close to him, and knocked his forehead against Red’s. Red groaned and let himself collapse, putting his full weight on top of Sans. After a moment, he peeked up, seeing Sans staring at him in embarrassed worry, one hand hovering above his skull as though unsure if he’d want to be touched. Red grinned up at him, propping his elbow on Sans’ clavicle and resting his chin in his hand. He kicked his feet in the air, doing his best to impersonate a teenage girl while also brushing the fingers of his free hand against the other’s ribs in a decidedly non-underage way.

Sans snorted, looking up at him with something akin to affection before shoving him off and to one side. “Fuck off, you’re like a million pounds and you’re crushing me.”

Red laughed, reaching out to gather the other into his arms before he could get up. Sans didn’t even pretend to protest before rolling over, burying his face into Red’s sternum and weaving his fingers between the spaces in his ribs. Red sighed, resting the side of his face against the top of Sans’ head.

“Why do you have to be such a dick all the time?”

He could feel Sans’ smirk against his chest, and he couldn’t suppress his smile at the action. “Because I live with you,” Sans said, his voice muffled slightly against the bone. “Anyone’d be a dick with a roommate like that, honestly.”

Red pulled back slightly, and Sans looked up at him questioningly, the mirth in his eyelights lighting up his whole expression. Smiling softly, Red kissed his forehead, then pulled him back in closely. “A roommate like what, exactly? Stunningly handsome and just generally far superior to any other?”

Sans snickered, though his face was heated, and replied, “The Magnificent Red, right?”

“The Magnificent and Malicious Red, hell yeah!”

Still laughing, Sans turned his head, and let go of Red’s ribs, wrapping his arms around him and pressing his cheek to his chest in a tight hug. “Why are you such a _nerd_?”

Red rolled over, pulling Sans with him so that he ended up half on top of him, held tightly to his chest. His only answer was a long-suffering sigh, and there was a long and comfortable silence, both of them slowly letting their eyes drift shut as they melted into one another.

“Sans,” Red whispered, nearly asleep, “This is my room.”

“I know,” Sans replied, eyes shut and breathing starting to slow. “I’m not moving, fuck off.”

Red snorted softly, remembering at the last second to grab a blanket with his magic, slinging it over them just as he fell asleep, Sans curled tightly into his arms.

~~~

Sans yawned, leaning over the table to grab another of Blue’s cookies before falling back into the couch. Grumbling slightly, he broke a piece off, stuffing it in his mouth. Red, across the room, was watching him with no small amount of amusement. He was somewhat surprised by how much the other’s grumpiness was making him want to sing “Just keep swimming”. Pissing Sans off was just entirely too much--

“Red!”

He jumped slightly, looking back at his brother, who had apparently been trying to have a conversation with him. He flashed him a lopsided grin, stuffing his hands in his pockets. “Sorry, Boss. Were ya sayin’ something?”

Fell glared down at him for a moment before rolling his eyes. “I was telling you that we should host one of these parties at your house, if Sans is going to start coming to them. It’s only fair, the other two couples take turns hosting.”

Red’s eyes narrowed slightly, and he felt himself take up a defensive stance. “What do you mean ‘the other couples’?! Sans and I aren’t a couple!”

Fell snorted. “You certainly argue like you've been married for thirty years. But no, I merely meant it as a figure of speech. Don’t have an aneurysm.”  

Huffing slightly, Red started to turn away, but stopped himself when he realized he’d been about to go sit by Sans and possibly fall asleep for a year. After sleeping for most of the afternoon and early night the day before, they’d woken up in the early hours of the morning, deciding to go about their days as normal instead of being reasonable and napping some more. But of fucking _course_ they’d forgotten about the damn dinner. And it was at Blue and Razz’s place, which was further across the city than Stretch and Fell’s, so it’d taken more magic to shortcut there, and they were both exhausted.

He cut off a yawn before forcing himself to turn back to his brother. “Yeah, alright. I’ll talk to Sans about doin’ it at our place next time.”

Fell looked at him oddly. “That was strangle reasonable, brother. Are you feeling alright?”

Red gave him a look before flipping him off, starting to turn away for real this time. “Fuck off, Boss, I’m tired.”

“What the fuck were you doing that kept you up late, then? Because I know you couldn’t possibly have moved enough today to have tired yourself out normally.”

He couldn’t hold back his snicker at his brother’s unintentional pun, and Fell’s eyes narrowed slightly. He probably knew the expression on Red’s face by heart by now, since, according to Sans, he made it every time he was holding in a pun, and he was apparently reviewing what he’d said to bring it about. Red watched him somewhat nervously, hoping that the other would be just thick enough to not get it.

Unfortunately, Fell’s eyes widened as he realized what Red was so amused by, and he folded his arms, giving Red his signature brotherly glare. Sighing, Red rolled his eyes and folded his arms across his chest. “Y’know, sometimes I think you forget that I’m the older--”

“Who the hell have you been fucking?!”

Fell’s voice was entirely too loud, and Red thought he heard Sans choke quietly. Blue, on the other side of the couch, was distracted by patting him on the back for a split second, then he looked up, glaring at Fell.

“Please watch your language, Fell! I can accept it normally but this is my--” His eyes bugged out of his head as he realized what Fell had said, and he gasped, clasping his hands together. “Red! Do you have a boyfriend?”

Red’s mouth dropped open, head swiveling between the two of them and doing his best to avoid looking at the horrified look on Sans’ face.

Razz, laying with his head across Blue’s lap, looked up at his soulmate bemusedly. “C’mon, Blue, I know you’re a romantic, but this is _Red_ we’re talking about. If he is fucking around, it’s not a relationship.”

Blue looked down at him, raising a brow in an all-too-familiar way that almost immediately had Razz clearing his throat. “Oh, no, I'm _sorry_ , Mr. 'I'll Never Want To Change', did you have something judgy to say?”

Razz scoffed, but his eyes softened marginally. Instead of replying, he just propped himself up on his elbows, planting a kiss on Blue’s nose and winking before turning to face Red. “Anyway, who is it?”

Red, still studiously avoiding Sans’ gaze, cleared his throat. Then cleared it again.

“I’m not even having sex with anyone?”

Well that was an awful lie. Who the fuck thought this would be a good idea, again? He sighed again, shrugging before they even had a chance to call him out on it and opening his mouth in preparation to reply.

“It was some stupid one-night stand.”

Red jumped slightly in response to Sans’ voice. He sounded, for all the world, amused by the whole situation, but when he turned to look at him, he could see the panic hidden in his eyelights. In response to what he’d said, Red nodded vigorously, agreeing with the excuse.

Blue’s eyes narrowed, glaring at him slightly, then he turned his attention to Sans, who was looking at Fell. Sans shrugged slightly, then winked. “Thin walls, and Red’s an asshole who _doesn’t call ahead_ .” The way he said it made it sound like it was an old argument, as though they’d spent their whole morning bickering about whether Red should be warning him when he brought people home instead of what they’d _actually_ done, the thought of which had Red’s face heating up slightly. Now _that_ would have made his brother flip out, though he seemed on the edge of it already.

“Sans!”

“What?” Red and Sans answered in unison, then shared an amused grin before looking back at Fell.

Looking frustrated, Fell shook his head, waving Sans off. “Not you. Red. Red! What the fuck? That is so irresponsible!”

Taking a page out of Sans’ book, Red tried to make himself look offended. “What, now you’re taking his side? I’m not going to think to call ahead when I’m drunk as--”

“No, dumbass, you can’t just pick up random people and--”

“WILL EVERYONE JUST STOP?!”

Every eye in the room turned to Blue, who was glaring at all of them, including Stretch, who was sound asleep in a nearby armchair and so hadn't actually said anything. The smallest of them heaved a sigh, then looked at Red, looking sad. He thought he knew why, and he spared himself an imaginary pat on the back for not telling him what was really going on. How much would it have upset him to know the truth?

“Red, your business is your business. I’m not going to lecture you, and _Fell_ is not going to, either. Just…” He sighed again, glancing sideways at the armchair where Stretch lay, breath slow and even. “Just...be careful, alright? And let’s move on.”

Red raised a brow, surprised by how he had handled it. He didn’t want to look at Sans, in case it gave them away, but he couldn’t stop himself from glancing up at him quickly.

Sans wasn’t looking at him, instead looking down at his lap as though thinking something over very carefully. Red’s gaze dropped, and he found himself worrying if something about the conversation had upset him.

Why did the thought make his soul feel like it was dropping out the bottom of his ribcage?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's a bonus little tiny [chapter](http://archiveofourown.org/works/8585845/chapters/22818212) from when I failed at writing the beginning of Chapter 8! Dunno if it's canon, but I still kinda like it so eh
> 
> [Narration](https://youtu.be/pnFItvJnU44) for this chapter!


	8. Fun lighthearted baking chapter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Don't listen to the title lol  
> Sans and Red attempt to bake a cake and they end up doing pretty much what you'd expect until Red breaks out the toybox.
> 
> Warnings contain spoilers so they're in the end notes, no archive warnings apply, though, so don't worry about those.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S0Qwx2-_2-4) I was listening to.

“I mean, it’s just a cake, right?”

Red looked up from the recipe to give Sans a doubtful look. “It was just tacos that one time you were cooking with Blue, and yet you managed to blow up the dishwasher.”

“Well, yeah, I know, but--”

“The _dishwasher_ , Sans. You weren’t even using the dishwasher!”

Laughing, Sans flapped his hands at Red, getting him to move off to the side so that he could read the recipe. “This isn’t even that hard! Tacos had so much shit involved, all we have to do with this is mix a bunch of stuff together in a bowl and pour in it in a pan and bake it!”

“Yeah, then frost it! Do you realize how difficult frosting is?!”

“It’s certainly difficult as hell when _someone_ eats two containers of it with a goddamn spoon!”

“It’s _cream cheese frosting_ , Sans, it’s your fault you left it in the fridge where I could find it!”

Sans rolled his eyes, reaching up into the cupboard and rifling through it for ingredients. “Well, I’d have thought you’d have more self control, especially considering this is for Stretch’s birthday. The man’s pregnant, have some pity.”

Red groaned dramatically, crossing the room to grab the butter and bringing it back to where Sans was beginning to lay everything out. “True. And it’s my brother’s kid, so you know it’s gonna be a little asshole. He certainly was, once he stopped being cute.”

Snickering, Sans began measuring ingredients, dumping them into the bowl he had grabbed in no particular order. “Fell? Cute? I’m not sure I could even imagine that.”

“Oh, yeah,” Red intoned. “Adorable. Little fucker liked to tie my shoelaces together, once he learned. You couldn’t teach him anything, or he’d find a way to use it against you.”

Nodding, Sans replied, “Paps was the same way. He’d leave traps for me around the house. I can’t tell you the number of times I opened a door only to have a bucket of honey or water or something fall on my head. He thought it was so funny. I feel bad for Slim sometimes.”

Red leaned back against the counter to watch him mix, folding his arms and holding in a grin. “Why? What’d he do to Slim?”

“Oh, nothing specific. But I’m pretty sure they share a dorm, and I have no doubt that Papyrus enjoys pranking the hell out of him.”

“...I wonder what Papyrus is like at college parties.”

Sans snickered as he cracked eggs into the bowl, by some miracle managing to keep all the shells out of it. “Great, now you have me imagining those two drunk.” In his best impression of Slim’s voice, he monotonously said, “Oh. No. Papyrus. Don’t drink that. Oh drat. What a shame. Guess I have to drink, now, too, if I’m gonna keep him from getting into trouble.”

Red cleared his throat, then said, in a terrible, high-pitched rendition of Papryrus’ voice, “SLIM! I HAVE ACQUIRED THE ALCOHOLS! LOOK! WE CAN DRINK THE NIGHT AWAY AND THEN--”

“Hey, hey…” Sans interrupted, putting the last of the ingredients into the bowl and looking around for the spoon. “That’s my brother you’re talking about, there. And believe me, Papyrus knows what alcohol is. He just doesn’t like the taste.”

“Yeah, I’ll bet that’s exactly what he tells you,” Red mumbled, leaning over Sans to grab the spoon before retreating. Holding his prize up in front of his face, he said, “What are you gonna give me for this?”

Sans rolled his eyes, making a grab for it and missing. “How about I don’t kick you in the coccyx?”

“I’m terrified, truly.”

“You better be, I’m fuckin’ Tale Sans, bitch.”

“Actually, I’m fucking Tale Sans. Does that give me special powers or something?”

Sans grabbed for the spoon again, but Red just laughed, holding it up above his head and waving it teasingly. Sans took a step back, hands on his hips, before reaching out and punching Red in the arm before making another grab for it.

“Really? That was your attack? Seri--” Red interrupted his sarcasm to grab his arm dramatically, throwing himself backwards into the fridge before sinking down the floor. He closed his eyes, groaning like he’d recently lost a close family member to illness. “You’ve bested me, damn it. Take your prize, swine!”

Sans sighed at the other’s antics, reaching down to grab the spoon before suddenly, Red reached out, grabbing the front of his shirt and tugging him down to plant a kiss on his mouth. Grumbling, Sans pulled away and grabbed the spoon before stomping over to the bowl and beginning to stir.

Red just sat on the floor for a long moment, grinning up at him, before he pushed himself to his feet and crossed the room. He wrapped his arms around Sans from behind, letting his chin rest on his shoulder as he watched what he was doing. “Should it be all clumpy like that?”

“Should you be all clumpy like that?”

“...What the fuck does that even mean?”

“It means shut up.”

Snickering, Red kissed the other on the shoulder before returning to his earlier position, softly trailing his thumbs around the edges of the other’s hips. The mostly-innocent touches seemed to be dissolving some of the tension in Sans’ body, relaxing back into the other without seeming to fully realize it.

After a moment, Red realized that Sans was no longer moving, and he opened his eyes (when had they closed?) to see that the batter looked mostly mixed-ish. “Do we need to put that in a pan?” he asked, starting to let go and move away to go find it.

Sans grabbed onto his wrists suddenly, keeping him from moving and flushing bright blue when Red looked at him questioningly. “Just...hang on. Hang on a sec. I was...enjoying that?”

Letting out a surprised chuckle, Red wrapped his arms more securely around him, burying his face into the back of the other’s neck and grinning against the vertebrae there. When he spoke, his voice was muffled, but it was still easy to hear through the peaceful silence. “Good. So was I.”

They just stood there for a long moment, standing by the counter with their eyes closed, reveling in the contact and the warmth of the kitchen and each other’s bodies.

The silence was broken by a soft sigh of contentment, and Sans turned around in Red’s arms, wrapping his arms around his neck and just hugging him for a long moment. Red’s eyes were still closed, but he could feel the happiness flowing out of the other’s soul in waves, meeting his own and making him want to smile.

“Sans, I--” he started to say, but the other was suddenly pulling him into a deep kiss, the cake batter apparently forgotten as he seemed intent on exploring every inch of the other’s mouth. Red snorted, and Sans pulled back, making a face at him.

“That felt really fucking weird.”

“What?”

“You, like...snorted in my mouth. It felt weird! What are you doing?”

Red rolled his eyes, grinning, and leaned down to connect them in a relatively chaste kiss before turning back to the cake batter. Leaning forward, he reached for the bowl, inadvertently trapping Sans between the counter and his body as he tipped the container so that he could see into it. “So, should we, like...bake this? Or are we just gonna--”

“Fuck the cake, we can bake it later!”

At the almost desperate tone of Sans’ voice, Red looked down to see him pushed down against the counter, blue-faced and eyelights starting to haze out. Highly amused, he suppressed a grin, then shrugged, moving away to grab the plastic wrap. “Well, if you say so, Sans, but it wouldn’t be very sanitary to just _leave_ it here. Let me just wrap it up really quick, then we can do whatever it is you had in mind.” Taking as long as he possibly could, he started pulling the saran wrap off the roll, humming like he didn’t have a care in the world.

Propped up on his elbows, Sans was watching him incredulously, gaze flicking between the batter and Red’s face as he tried to decide if Red was messing with him. “Red, what the fuck are you--”

“Shhhhh this is very delicate process!” Red said loudly, flapping one hand at the other. “If it sticks to itself, I’m gonna have to start over!”

“...Y’know, I would ask if you’re fucking with me right now but that’s the goddamn point, isn’t it?”

“SHHH!!”

~~~

In his home world, Sans hadn't ever really had the opportunity to have a relationship. His early life had been taken up by raising his brother, and there was only the briefest of time between his eventual acceptance that Papyrus was old enough to make his own decisions and the start of the hell of resets. He'd...well, he'd never actually  _told_ Red, but he'd only ever had sex with one other person in his life. It had been one of the worst things to have ever happened to him, and he could still easily remember waking up the morning after to his best friend telling him that it had all been a lie, that he'd been nothing but a replacement, and he wasn't even good enough for  _that_. 

So he'd avoided it for years, never wanting to delve into that idea, never wanting to have the same thing happen to him again, never wanting to drink himself to sleep while he cried  _ever again_.

But then they'd gotten drunk. Then Red had pissed him off and simultaneously challenged him in a way that his hazy mind just hadn't been able to deny, and it had been...so unlike the first time. There was no lie, there was no betrayal. Yeah, it was only about sex, but at least he  _knew_ that going into it. So...when Red had suggested changing their relationship into something purely sexual, into something that could be used to...to blow off some steam? 

Well, it had sounded amazing. He wouldn't be able to be betrayed like this. There was no way. And...well, even when he wasn't under the impression that it was out of love, sex was actually kind of fun. It felt amazing, of course, and it made him feel special, the way that Red would completely focus on him and his pleasure. He didn't have much that made him feel special, and it was  _wonderful_ to have something like this, something that was an all-accounts win-win and that he could really indulge in any time he wanted, with how Red always seemed to be down for it. 

Every time was different, and every time felt special, despite there being no romantic intentions behind it. 

And this time, Red seemed intent on drilling that feeling into him again and again and again.

Sans’ body was still shuddering, his sensitivity making his body tense up at seemingly random intervals as Red traced his fingers up and down his bare bones. He was lying with his body tucked around Sans’ as best he could, one arm draped over his ribcage as the other explored.

“Sans…”

He looked over at him and cracked his eyes open, still breathing hard as the last of his afterglow pulsed through him. “Y-yeah?”

Red was looking at him, an intensity in his eyes that sent another round of shivers down his spine. “I just…” There was a pause, and he shook his head slightly before throwing one knee over Sans’ body, coming up to loom over him. He leaned down, mouth hovering right by the side of Sans’ head as he growled, “You’re so fucking... _gorgeous_ and perfect and it makes me want to absolutely _ruin_ you…”

Sans suppressed a moan at the words, his eyes squeezing shut for a moment before he raised his chin, exhausted eyelights making contact with the other’s. There was absolutely nothing better in the world than the look in Red's eyes, voice ringing with honesty and lust. “Well? Fucking ruin me, then.”

With a groan of want, Red leaned down, kissing him harder than he had before and using his magic to pull something out from under his bed. Breaking the kiss for a moment, he pulled the lid off the toybox, rifling through it for something he, strangely enough, didn’t pull out very often. Sans watched through slightly apprehensive eyes, unsure exactly where this was going but somehow wishing it would come faster.

Red straightened, grinning down at him and brandishing several white little round...things. There were cords connecting them all, leading to a remote that he held in his other hand. Sans furrowed his brow, confused, as he untangled them quickly. His confusion lessened, however, as Red stuck each of them on one of his sensitive spots; the bottom few ribs, the base of his spine, either side of his sacrum, and one directly on the clit that was still swollen from their previous activities.

Sans gasped as it was attached, and Red grinned, setting the remote aside before wrapping his arms around Sans and sitting back, pulling him up to sit in his lap.

“I can’t wait to see the look on your face…” Red murmured as he picked the remote back up, fiddling with the controls idly, “...as I completely fucking wreck you.” With that, he turned it on to the lowest setting, and Sans _screamed_.

To his already overwhelmed and sensitive body, this felt like heaven. Even with the vibrations barely going, Sans could feel his eyes rolling back in his head, panting as every one of his hotspots was stimulated. He could feel Red’s fingers entering him, and he ground down into them, sucking in a pleasured gasp as he was stretched out all over again. “God, Red, _moooooreeee~!_ ”

Red grinned, adding another finger as he slowly turned the dial, upping the vibrations. “You want more? Is that it? Do you want it, Sans? Do you _really_ want it?”

All he could bring himself to do was nod as he felt another climax approaching, moans increasing in frequency and pitch as it all crashed over him, feeling like he was just on the edge of too much and loving every second of it.

“Yeah? Then fucking beg me for it.”

Sans, eyes filled with pleasured tears, looked up and made eye contact, Red’s burning eyelights nearly sending him over the edge right then and there. “ _Please…_ ”

With that, Red grinned, removing his fingers and filling him instead with his member as he cranked the dial up as far as it could go.

Even as he screamed out in apparent pleasure, even as his body clenched and shuddered its way through an orgasm, Sans felt something change. Where before he had felt like nothing could be better, he now wanted nothing more than to get away, the overwhelming sensations shifting into something decidedly _too much_. As his climax was extended, the feeling started to turn into something like pain, almost as unpleasant as it had just been perfect, and his eyes widened as it continued to get worse.

“R-Red…”

The other just turned his head, reaching up with one arm and pulling Sans forward into a kiss. He winced, pulling back as his body arched almost against his will. Shaking arms tried to reach up, to push him away, but he couldn’t get them to move, his body not responding to the commands he was trying to give it.

“Red, s-stop! It’s t-too muuuuuch!”

He couldn’t even speak clearly, gasps of pain instead of pleasure pushing their way out past his teeth as he wriggled, trying to get away from the increasingly unpleasant sensation.

Red smirked at him, leaning forward to push him down on the bed as he leaned forward, kissing the side of Sans’ skull before murmuring, “Well, that doesn’t sound like the safe word to me, Sansy.”

He...he wasn’t...he wasn’t _listening_ , and Sans felt betrayal crash through him even as another wave of pain wracked his body, and tears that had started out from pleasure started to stream down his face as he began to sob. Fear and pain were whirling through his mind, even as Red slowed to a stop, not pulling out or stopping the vibrations, but gaping down at him in shock. “Sans, are you--”

“BUTTERFLIES!” he managed to scream, shaking involuntarily as sobs forced their way through his body. “B-butterflies, please, please stop, butterflies…”

Red swore loudly, scrambling for the remote and shutting down the vibrations before pulling out, his magic dissipating almost immediately as he realized what was happening. With shaking fingers, he removed the vibes, tossing them back into the box before leaning down, wiping Sans’ tears away with his thumbs as he started to cry involuntarily, shock and guilt to a degree he hadn't even known he was capable of warring through his mind.

“I’m so fucking...I’m so fucking sorry, are--are you okay? Did you--”

He started checking the other over, making sure there was no permanent physical damage even as he could almost feel the broken and betrayed stare of the other boring into his skull. He couldn’t seem to keep still, and his shoulders slumped under the guilt of hurting the other, forcing himself to look up and make eye contact.

Sans had his hand pressed over his eyes as he cried, streaks of blue covering the bone around his sockets. Red forced his mouth closed even as his mind was screaming at him to apologize again and again until Sans knew for a fact that he didn’t mean it, he didn’t want to hurt him, that was the _last_ thing he wanted…

He pushed himself off to the side, leaning down again to press a shaky kiss to the other’s forehead, more to assure himself that the other was still there than anything else. As his teeth made contact with the other’s skull, Sans flinched, uncovering his eyes and staring up at him with eyelights that were terrified for a split second too long before he seemed to realize what he’d been doing.

“R-Red, I--I just…”

He didn’t say anything, waiting for the other’s verdict, for the weight of his sins to crush him into dust, barely able to make eye contact.

“I-I need some...some space. I-I’m sorry, I just...I can’t--”

Red felt as though his soul was imploding, but he nodded. Even as he eyes refilled with tears, he pushed himself backwards off the bed, managing to whisper, “O-okay. Of course. Do you want a-anything? Water, or a bath, or...whatever, really, I can--”

“No, I’m...I’m good. I just w-want to be alone right now. I-I’m sorry, I know you didn’t--”

“It’s okay.” Nothing about this was okay. Sans had _told_ him, he’d fucking asked him to stop, and he hadn’t even been able to tell that anything was wrong. What the fuck was wrong with him, that he would do something like that to someone that he…to Sans? “I’m so...so sorry, Sans.”

Sans opened his mouth, but Red’s eyes dropped, and he took a shortcut into the hall, sparing himself no more thought than the time it took to grab his clothes off the floor and the top step. He sank down against the wall right next to his bedroom door, burying his face in his arms and trying to keep his sobs as quiet as he could, in case he disturbed the other.

He just...he couldn’t leave him alone. Not entirely. Not after what he’d done.

Not after hurting Sans.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: use of safe word, accidentally hurting partner, misunderstandings with serious consequences
> 
>  
> 
> [NARRATION](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Ap7vfCy9KE&t=1012s)


	9. This chapter would be an apology if I felt bad lmao

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is slightly shorter than normal? But only by about 500 words so eh. 
> 
> [This](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fGUM2Bo0I8w) is the song I would highly recommend listening to while reading this chapter. Very, very highly recommended.

Sans couldn’t get himself to move for a long time after Red left. All he could do was cry into the pillow under his head, the one that smelled like him, the slow tears coming quietly so that he couldn’t be heard, no matter where Red had gone. It wasn’t so much that he was in pain; that had faded almost as soon as the other had stopped. It was more that he felt… not betrayed, exactly, but the thought of his alternate kept making new tears start to flow out of his eyes.

_Am I afraid? After what happened, it could make sense._

In hindsight, it really wasn’t what had just happened that was hurting. He was okay; he really should have known from the very first feeling of discomfort that Red would stop as soon as he needed him to, as soon as he actually _knew_ something was wrong. Red was just...like that. As soon as he had Sans in his arms, he was as caring and considerate and worthy of trust as Sans had ever known anyone to be, no matter how much of a dick he seemed to be otherwise.

_I could never be afraid of him. Even before, I don’t think he ever would have hurt me._

But...he wasn’t a dick, not really. He just found all of Sans’ buttons and pushed them to their furthest possible limit. It used to drive him insane, but lately…

_He might act like he’s ready to dust anyone at a split second’s notice, but I’ve seen the way he reacts to the reminder of his own LV. He’s not like the rest of his world. None of us are, really._

Sniffling, he pushed himself up to sit, his pelvis scraping uncomfortably against the sheets. Drawing his knees up to his chest, he started to wrap his arms around them before he hesitated, reaching out and grabbing the pillow he had been crying on and pressing it to his face.

_So I should go out there and tell him it’s all okay. I’m not hurt, I don’t blame him, it’s all going to be okay._

Why was it, that after something like that, after knowing that Red was already forgiven, when all he needed was some breathing room and he’d be able to continue on however they decided to, the thing that was making him cry was the memory of the look on Red’s face as he’d screamed out the safe word? Why did he feel as though remembering that moment hurt more than anything that had just happened?

_Why can’t I just make myself go and tell him it’s alright? Is it because it’s not alright? Then what the fuck is wrong with me?_

Sans wasn’t an idiot. He was actually incredibly smart, his success in every field he pushed himself in being the only proof of that he had ever needed of the fact. He knew he had some sort of feelings for the other skeleton. But what _kind_? Was this normal? Was it just the fact that they were having sex? Would he feel this way about anyone?

_I don’t think...I don't think that just sex makes you feel like this. There has to be something else, right?_

How the hell would Red react to knowing how Sans’ soul filled with something burning and wonderful every time he saw him smile?

_He’s always felt different._

The tears were beginning to dry up as he squeezed his eyes shut, breathing in the scent of cigarettes and cinnamon and the woodsy cologne Red always wore. Sans used to mock him for practically bathing in the stuff, but since then it’d become a scent he was practically addicted to. Not that he would ever admit that to him.

_His head certainly doesn’t need to swell up any bigger, he’s already having trouble fitting through doorways. And besides, what if he doesn’t…he doesn’t…_

What the fuck was _wrong_ with him? What was it about his goddamned pride that was stopping him from, at the very least, standing up and telling the other he was okay? Why was it so hard to admit to himself that he was falling--

_Falling for...falling in...fucking falling off a cliff is what’s about to happen, fuck me..._

He couldn’t even think it to himself. The whole point of this thing was that he wasn't supposed to have those feelings for Red. It was just supposed to be sex, it was just supposed to be casual. It was supposed to be  _different._

_It is different, though. I don't feel like I'm drowning when I'm with Red, I don't feel like he's perfect._

His mind whirling, he lifted his face, staring guiltily at the door. How much time had passed? A half hour? He was stiff as hell, he knew that much.

_I really need to talk to him. I need to solve this, I need to find out, once and for all…_

He heaved a sigh, stretching out his legs and wincing at the semi-dried liquids covering his middle. He pushed himself out of the bed and wobbled over to Red’s dresser, rifling through for something to cover up with on his way to the shower. He didn’t think he could handle a shortcut right now, and besides, he really needed to talk to Red. He was a decent guy, he was probably worried sick.

_No...no, I can’t do that. I’ve already fucked myself up enough, I don’t need to do it to him, too._

Pulling a black tank top over his head and slipping into a pair of boxers that he was pretty sure were his anyway, he made his way to the door, pausing to rest his forehead against it before turning the handle.

_There’s no way in hell I can tell him._

~~~

Red was pacing the hallway when he heard the door open, immediately spinning around and catching sight of Sans. His soul dropped as he took in the tears streaked down his face, arms twitching up as he desperately wanted to pull him in for a bone-crushing hug. He forced himself to stop, holding his arms down by his sides and dropping his gaze.

“Hey,” he said, but it came out as a whisper, his voice almost gone from crying. “A-are you o--”

He choked off into a surprised gasp as the other wrapped him up in a careful hug. Sans’ face was pressed to his clavicle, and he seemed to be relaxing, as though letting go of something he’d been holding in for a long time. “I’m fine. What about you?”

Red nearly shoved the other away in his shock at the question, but instead he returned the hug, his grip tightening as he memorized the feel of the other held close in his arms. “M-me? Why the fuck do I matter?”

Sans didn’t answer, instead hugging him tighter as though he was unable to use words to express what he was feeling. They stayed that way for a moment, then Sans pulled back and looked him in the face, something unidentifiable filling his eyes. “R-Red, I…” Red just watched him, looking worried, as he apparently ran out of words or courage or steam, seeming to deflate before his eyes. Finally, he sighed, stepping back and letting his arms slip down so that he was holding onto Red’s hands. “I need to clean myself up. Have you...have you had a shower?”

Red shook his head, and Sans tugged on him lightly, leading him towards the bathroom. In response, Red’s eyes widened and he dug his heels in, coming to an abrupt stop. “Sans, I’m not going to--”

Sans seemed to realize his mistake, shaking his head quickly at the assumption. “No, no, I know. Don’t worry, i wouldn’t--” he sighed, letting go of one hand to rub his eye sockets, inadvertently smearing around the half-dried tear tracks. “I just...can you come sit with me? In the bath? You don’t have to, I just…”

Red was already nodding, ready to give Sans anything he wanted if it would guarantee that he never saw him looking broken again. He let himself be tugged into the bathroom, waving off Sans’ attempts to start the bath himself. Turning the handle and testing the temperature, he started it up, leaning across the tub to grab the bubble bath Blue had bought him for his last birthday and he knew Sans secretly loved, pouring a copious amount of it into the water before checking the heat again.  

He sighed almost silently, then turned around to tell Sans that the water was ready, only to freeze at the sight before him.

Sans was completely bare-boned, which he had expected, but he could feel his eyes filling with tears at the blue tint to the other’s entire pelvis, the color stronger at the edges where the ecto had reacted with its rough treatment to leave stains of residue.

Without seeming to notice the look on his face, Sans approached him, attempting a smirk that didn’t quite work out. “What, are you gonna bathe with your clothes on? C’mon, Red, when I ask you to take a bath with me--”

“ _Sans…_ ”

He had never heard his own voice sound quite like that, decidedly wavering and sounding so entirely broken. Sans just shook his head, reaching up and cupping Red’s cheeks after a split second of hesitation. “It’s okay. I’m really okay. Please, Red, believe me?”

Red forced himself to meet the other’s eyes, the force of his guilt nearly making his eyelights gutter out. Sans’ eyes were bright with emotion, but not the one he would have expected. He resisted the urge to dig deeper, to ask what he was thinking. Instead, he nodded faintly, reaching to pull his own shirt over his head as the other stepped back, giving him room to get undressed.

When he was ready, Red turned away from his alternate, leaning down to check the water before stepping back, making room for Sans to get in. Sighing quietly, Sans stepped past him, but didn’t sit down in the tub. Instead, he beckoned for Red to join him, holding out one hand.

Despite his guilt and his surety that the other should want _anything_ but to touch him right now, Red took it, stepping into the tub and sitting down as Sans pushed him to do so, following right after and sitting in front of him, curling into his bare chest as best he could in the confines of the bath.

After a moment’s hesitation, Red relaxed, wrapping his arms loosely around the other’s rib cage and letting his head fall forward to rest against his shoulder. Sans just reached up, smoothing one palm along the side of his face and kissing him lightly on the top of the head. After a moment, Red could feel tears he hadn’t even known he had left gathering in his eyes, beginning to cry as the other shushed him gently. Sans continued to press kisses to his head, eyes tightly shut against his own emotions.

“Sans, I-I’m so fucking sorry, I’m so, so, so sorry…”

“Shhh, Red, it’s okay. I know.”

“I j-just...I thought you were...were messing with me, like how you...you usually do, a-and I--”

Sans shook his head, repeating in a whisper that it was okay, that Red hadn’t done anything wrong. The crying skeleton just held him tighter in response, still refusing to look up and not seeming to believe him. Sans hooked his fingers under his chin, forcing him to look up and meet his eyes.

Red’s eyelights were faded out, crimson smudged under his eyes and a lost sort of look on his face that made Sans wish he could do _anything_ to take away the other’s pain.

“Can I kiss you, Red?”

Red hesitated, seeming to focus on him a bit more and seriously think about it before nodding. Sans leaned forward gently, closing his eyes as he pressed his teeth to the other’s. Letting his arms wrap around the back of his neck, he tried to push everything he felt for the other through the connection, as though he could replace the words he couldn’t quite say with the actions they’d performed so many times before. He felt Red reciprocate, hugging him back, but he could feel his soul dropping as he didn’t feel any of his fervor returned.

Pulling back, he gave the other a soft smile, trying not to let any of the pain in his soul show and knowing that if he did, Red would blame himself. All of this was Sans’ own fault; he should have known himself better than to go through with any of this.

“I’ve already forgiven you for anything you think you might have done wrong, alright? It really is okay.”

Red returned the smile with the barest flicker of something from _before_ in it.

None of it seemed to quite reach his eyes.

~~~

They sat together for a long time, the blue tint to Sans’ bones slowly beginning to fade as the water soothed the aches and the leftover magic was washed away. Red didn’t notice immediately that the other had fallen asleep, since Sans had been silent and relaxed for a while.

He shifted him in his arms so that he could see his face, eyes closed and mouth curved down into a small frown. He let a quiet sigh escape his mouth, brushing the backs of his weathered knuckles against Sans’ cheek before reaching behind him and pulling the plug in the bath.

As the water drained, he secured a grip on Sans, carefully rising to his feet and stepping out of the tub, carrying the smaller skeleton bridal-style. Awkwardly tugging a towel off the rack, he dried himself and the other as best he could without waking him. Quietly, he carried Sans to his room, repressing a guilty smile at the way Sans was nuzzling into his ribcage. Adorable.

Carefully, he pulled back the awful blue and yellow quilt that Papyrus had made for him, laying Sans down on the white sheets. He hesitated for a moment, then kissed his forehead before beginning to pull away and go back to his own room.

To his surprise, Sans gave a strangled gasp of panic, the grip Red hadn’t even known he’d taken on his ribs tightening painfully. Red winced, stopping in his tracks to try to loosen Sans’ fingers. He wasn’t having it, however, and the emotions that were playing out across his face were making Red’s soul twist. Finally, he stopped, just leaning forward over the bed and pressing his forehead to Sans’. He really shouldn’t stay. After what he’d done, he shouldn’t be anywhere near Sans.

But even asleep, Sans didn’t seem to want to let him go.

He sighed, crawling under the covers next to him as Sans’ grip relaxed. Pulling the other close, he breathed deeply, taking in the whole feeling of him. Sans had always been an anomaly.

Red didn’t think he’d ever be able to fall asleep, but before too long, his breathing started to slow and his eyelids fluttered shut. Sans forgave him, he knew that. He knew that no matter what Red thought he _should_ feel, he wasn’t angry or upset. He forgave him.

Red hovered on the edge of sleep, regret and guilt making his soul ache.

He didn’t know how to even begin to forgive himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Gorgeous Fanart by Becky](https://beckyshecky.tumblr.com/post/158664546829/oh-boy-oh-boy-do-i-hate-backgrounds-have-you) thank you so so so so so so so much!!!!!
> 
> Narration is [here](https://youtu.be/y-8MTYyGrtg)


	10. It was going great until Razz got here

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shit gets solved, new shit happens, yay?
> 
> [Song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9xDhaHVDe7g) I was listening to!

Over the course of the next several days, something became painfully obvious. Every time Sans walked into a room, Red was just leaving it, and he didn’t think he’d ever seen the larger skeleton take so many last-minute shortcuts to strange places. Red was avoiding him, and he wasn’t even being subtle about it. Sans’ frustration grew steadily, not sure how to even begin to approach the situation.

He was getting tired of always being alone, his previous comfortable companionship with his roommate having all but disappeared. He missed Red, he missed his brother, he missed... _people_ , which is something even he was surprised to hear himself think. He’d considered calling up some of the others, but he’d just...never really felt like a cemented part of that group without Red, for whatever reason.

He was standing in the middle of the living room, frowning down at the couch, when he got the idea. It was something he and his brother used to do all the time, something to wear Papyrus out a bit before movie night, so that he could properly relax and enjoy the downtime.

If anyone had been around to ask him, he would have said that he was just doing it because he was bored. The truth, however, was that he was lonely. He desperately needed to feel close to someone and this reminded him of the most important person in his life, no matter what was going on with Red.

He started by pulling the couch cushions down onto the floor, followed by every pillow in the living room. After a moment of consideration, he grabbed the couch afghan, setting it aside before giving the couch a running shove, attempting to push it across the room and out of the way. After a few minutes of failed attempts, he finally managed to get it to move, taking a moment to collapse to the floor. This had definitely been a lot easier when Papyrus was the one doing the heavy lifting.

With a sigh, he got to his feet, taking a shortcut to his room to gather all of the blankets and pillows he could find and taking them downstairs. He started arranging things, dragging several chairs in from the kitchen. After a few moments, he stopped and frowned, trying to remember how Papyrus had attached all the blankets together.

Well, there weren’t enough anyway...he glanced up at Red’s room, considering. Red was up there, pretending to be busy, but….

He took another shortcut, landing outside his door and knocking quickly before coming in. Ignoring the questioning look Red was giving him from where he was lounging at his desk, Sans crossed the room and started stripping his bed of all its sheets, blankets, and pillows.

“Wha--”

Sans glanced up, as though surprised the other was there. “Oh! Hey! Don’t mind me, I’ll bring all these back in a few hours!”

Red just stared at him for a moment, seeming to be trying to decide if he should be stopping him. “Uh...what are you doing?”

Sans shrugged, then winked, gathering all his supplies into his arms. “How about you come see?” he said, then shortcutted back downstairs.

He dropped the new blankets next to the rest of them, looking at it all consideringly. He walked to the nearest chair, adjusting it slightly before draping one of the blankets over it, tying the ends to themselves before tossing the other end over a chair directly opposite of the other one.

He heard a door crack open upstairs, and he suppressed a smile, imagining the look on Red’s face as he took in the mess in the living room. Ignoring him completely, Sans grabbed another sheet and repeating his earlier motions with another set of chairs.

There was a crack of magic behind him, then Red’s hesitant voice. “What the fuck are you doing?”

Sans turned around, smiling widely that he’d been able to get the other to actually choose to interact with him. “I’m building a blanket fort!”

Red’s gaze shifted from the fort to him and back again, still looking confused. “...why?”

Sans shrugged. “Dunno. It’s fun. Wanna help?”

There was a moment of hesitation where Red avoided his eyes completely, and Sans worried, for a moment, that he’d been too straightforward.

“Yeah, alright. What can I do?”

Sans turned away to hide the grin of victory that spread across his face. “Help me attach this to the couch. How do you think we could attach it to the rest of the fort?”

“Uh...clothespins? I don’t fuckin--”

Sans clapped his hands together. _That’s_ what he’d been missing! “I’ll grab them, you get started sticking this--” he handed Red his black comforter “--under all of it, then stuff all the pillows underneath, so that it will be all poofy.”

“...Poofy?”

“Shut up and just do it,” he said, grinning happily before he took a shortcut to go find the clothespins.

~~~

Almost half an hour later, they stood in front of their creation, Sans with his hands on his hips and looking incredibly proud of himself while Red was secretly wishing they still had use of their couch so that he could collapse onto it and sleep for a year.

“It looks amazing!” Sans said happily, and Red gave him a strange look before sighing and rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly.

Before he could say anything, Sans had dropped to his hands and knees, crawling in through the little flap they’d constructed. Red watched him go, a bemused sort of look on his face, before lowering himself carefully and sticking his face through the opening.

Sans was laying spread-eagled across the admittedly very poofy floor of the fort, eyes closed and smiling widely. He cracked one eye socket open as Red snorted at him, and pushed himself up to sit. He crossed his legs and held one hand out. It was a clear invitation, but Red could see the doubt in his eyes, the first real worry he’d let slip through his facade of perfect innocence for the whole project.

He hesitated, his own worries coming to the forefront of his mind and urging him to shortcut away, to leave him alone so that he...he didn’t…

Red sighed at himself. This wasn’t working, was it?

He reached out and playfully batted Sans’ hand away, crawling into the fort and letting himself collapse face-first onto the comforter. Sans laughed, and he felt some of the pillows shift as Sans laid back down. After a few moments of peaceful silence, Red rolled over, ending up right next to Sans and grinning at him.

Sans turned his head, meeting his eyes and taking in the grin with a relieved sigh. Red winked at him, bending the elbow that was brushing against Sans’ so that his hand was held up in his sights, a peace offering. Sans didn’t even hesitate before he reached up and took it, pulling the hand into his chest as he rolled slightly, just enough to let his head rest on the other’s shoulder.

Red’s smile softened, and he turned to meet him, draping his free arm over the other’s ribcage. He let his eyes close, truly letting himself relax for the first time in the last few days.

It was completely silent for a few minutes, the only sounds being the ticking of the clock and their respective breathing. There was a shift in the blankets, and Sans pulled his hand away, propping himself up on his elbows and looking down at Red with soft eyelights. Red’s own eyes opened as he felt the other move, and he met the gaze, feeling the expression in them cause his soul to lighten and grow heavier all at the same time.

“Are we okay?”

Red considered the question for a long moment, reaching up and brushing his fingers against the side of Sans’ face. The other leaned into the touch, letting his eyes flutter closed. Red sighed, reaching out with his other hand and using both to tug Sans down into a chaste kiss.

“Yeah. Yeah, we’re okay.”

Sans buried his face into the other’s chest, heaving a sigh of contentment as his hands came up to grip at the other’s shoulders. “Good,” he murmured, snuggling into the other’s hold and doing his best to hide his relieved tears. “I’ve missed you, oddly enough.”

Red gave a gasp of exaggerated surprise, his hands settling on Sans’ back and dragging lightly up and down. “What? I thought all you wanted was to be rid of me!”

Sans snorted. “Well, you thought right. I just missed having someone to tell my puns to, I don’t think the pet rock really likes them.”

“I think it’s more that it’s incapable of anything but _stony_ silence,” Red said, smirking down at the top of the other’s head.

Sans groaned loudly, smacking Red on the shoulder. “That was fucking awful.”

“You’re fucking awful, but I wasn’t gonna say anything”

“Shut the fu--”

Suddenly, Red rolled them over, causing Sans to let out a yelp of surprise as their positions were switched. Red grinned down at him snarkily, then relaxed again, laying his head on the other’s clavicle as their legs tangled together.

Sans smiled down at him, tears gathering in his eyes again before he forced them away. He didn’t want to ruin this.

Carefully, he wrapped his arms around Red, squeezing tightly before allowing his grip to relax. He could feel every breath the other was taking with their chests pressed so closely together, and he pretended, just for a moment, that he could feel the warmth of the other’s soul, projecting out onto his, just as his kept trying to send out magic to Red’s.

He could just enjoy this, though. He could enjoy the other’s proximity, be grateful that Red was willing to give him as much of himself as he did.

It was better than nothing.

Red wasn’t sure how long they stayed there, completely wrapped up in each other, before Sans reached down and lightly bonked him on the head, getting his attention. Red groaned dramatically, pressing his face in harder for a moment before raising his head.

“I was just gettin’ comfortable, Sansy, the fuck do you want?”

Sans snorted even as a blue flush crossed his face at the nickname, and he gestured over to where they had carefully draped a blanket from them to the TV so that they could still see it inside the fort. “Are we plannin’ on using that, or are we just going to keep laying here?”

Red lowered his head again, resting the side of his face against Sans’ chest and looking up at the screen as he considered. “What would we watch?”

“I dunno, what do you want to--”

_Knock Knock!_

Sans froze comically, his mouth half-open as he arched backwards slightly to try and see the door, temporarily forgetting that they were inside a pile of blankets. “Who in the hell--”

The knocking came again, more enthusiastically this time, and Red sighed, resigning himself to leaving the warmth and peace of the blanket fort as he started to push himself up to his feet. Before he could get far, however, Sans grabbed his arm, almost subconsciously, and Red looked down at him, confusion in his eyelights.

“We could just...ignore it?” he whispered, eyes pleading. Red looked down at him, guilt lancing through his soul at the expression, knowing now that his avoidance had been causing more pain than he had intended.

He started to nod when the knocking came again, followed by an all-too-familiar shout. “You assholes better not be ignoring the door, I know you’re home!”

Red heaved a sigh, and Sans’ eyelights dimmed slightly as he let go. Razz wasn’t exactly one to give up, and they both already knew they’d rather not fix another broken door. Not to mention the scene the other would find upon charging into the living room. Red looked at the other apologetically as he pulled away, and Sans shrugged. “I’ll be here when you get back?” he murmured, and Red nodded before crawling out of the fort and heaving himself to his feet.

“Shut the fuck up, I’m comin’!” Sans heard Red yell, and he stifled his giggles as he rolled over, propping his chin in his hands. He could hear the low rumble of Red’s voice at the door as it opened, but he couldn’t quite make out what he was saying. He sighed, somewhat impatiently, and stretched, hearing his spine pop in several places.

The conversation at the door continued, and he paused, confused, as he heard a worried edge enter Red’s voice. What was--

“God damn it, Razz...Sans, can you come out here?”

He pushed himself onto his hands and knees, crawling out of the fort as he heard the door shut and two sets of footsteps come into the room.

Razz was looking at the blanket fort judgmentally, one brow cocked. “What the hell were you guys even doing?”

“We were fucking in a fort, Razz, haven’t you ever tried it?” Red said sarcastically, directing the other to sit in the armchair. “Take off your damn armor, you fucking idiot.”

Razz winced as he sat down, and Sans’s brow furrowed. He’d never seen the other look like...he was in pain?

The smallest in the room quickly unbuckled his chestplate handing it to Red carefully and turning so that Sans could see his bare chest. His mouth dropped open, and he crossed the room in a few quick steps, coming down onto one knee in front of him so that he could see it better.

Three of the ribs on the left side were broken, his magic sparking as it tried to hold the pieces together. There were cuts and dents that looked fresh lining his sternum, and Sans swallowed thickly. “Why are you--”

Razz attempted to shrug, wincing again as it aggravated the dents on his clavicle. Sans noticed, suddenly, that his neckerchief was missing, but he didn’t spare much time to consider it before his magic was flaring up green, lighting up his hands as he reached for the other’s injuries. Razz hissed as the magic made contact, his eyelight flaring with his purple magic before he took a deep breath, calming himself.

“You have the best healing magic out of us, other than Blue, Red's, what, a..nurse or some shit? And I’m not about to--” he sucked in a sharp breath as Sans adjusted one of his broken ribs, making sure it was lined up properly as it was healed. “--to go home, let Blue see me like this.”

Sans spared half a second to glance up at the other’s face before returning to work, finishing with the ribs and starting on the multitude of smaller injuries.

“What the hell happened?” Red growled, reaching down to adjust Sans's wrists so that the magic could flow more smoothly into the bone. He cursed himself internally, wishing, not for the first time, that he was able to connect with others as easily as the taleverse monsters.

Razz groaned aloud as Sans’ magic worked into the bone, then cut himself off abruptly, clenching his teeth. After a few moments, he had enough of a hold on himself to answer, not looking up at Red.

“Fucking anti-monster humans. I was on my way home from work and some of them came out of fuckin’ nowhere. While I was occupied with the ones in front of me, the rest got the drop on me and they stole my _goddamn scarf!_ ” He seemed pissed, but Sans had to stifle a snort of laughter that that’s what he was most upset about. Sometimes the swap Sanses reminded him far too much of his own brother.

“I thought all that anti-monster stuff was 'over before it'd even started',” Red hissed, looking angry.

“Apparently not, the assholes. Kept telling me I should go underground, and one of them really seemed to think he was funny for saying he’d help me get there faster.” Razz shivered as Sans finished his healing and straightened back up. He just sat there for a moment, breathing hard, before he made himself stand up, his legs wobbly from the exchange of magic.

Wordlessly, he held out his hand for his breastplate, but Red didn’t hand it over immediately, glaring at him. “You are going to tell Blue about this, right?”

Razz rolled his eyes, reaching out to try and grab the armor away. “There’s no reason to worry him. Give me my shit and I’ll leave, thank you.”

“No,” said Red, narrowing his eyes. “You need to tell Blue. It’s his job to worry about you, and he’ll be pissed as hell if he finds out you didn’t tell him. Not to mention the fact that you’re covered in Sans’ magic, and he’ll _probably_ be a tiny bit suspicious.”

Razz heaved a sigh, reaching up to rub his eye sockets. “Fine. Sans, thank you for your help. Red, thank you for your interference in my personal life. Now, if you would be so kind as to give me my goddamn armor back, I’ll leave you assholes in peace so you can fuck or cry or whatever you were doing in your weird blanket cave.”

Red sighed, handing back the armor. “Anytime, dickbag. Get home safe, yeah?”

“Of course.” Razz pulled his armor back on, and Sans exchanged looks with Red before Razz was walking to the door, tugging it open and glancing back at them quickly.

“Thanks.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And, Red, not to ruin the tone of the ending of that, but of course Razz has fucked in a blanket fort, have you ever even _seen_ Blue? [ahem](http://archiveofourown.org/works/9348767/chapters/22925667) (I got very into the idea lmao)
> 
>  
> 
> [NARRATION](https://youtu.be/GNRyU5Eu4e4)


	11. Platonic sex under the stars between bros

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Exactly what the title says, no irony or anything here guys.  
> I swear, these emotionally constipated nerds need to get their shit together. Wait, I'm the author and I could make them figure it out if I wanted? (lol nah)
> 
> Partially written while listening to [this](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VjHMDlAPMUw) but [this](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TCIPC17-O6g) fits better and I was listening to it for the majority of the important parts. Both of them do fit the chapter, though, so take your pick!
> 
> Jokes stolen-ish from [here](https://crushingonsans.tumblr.com/post/157437536835/tajemniczepudelko-i-saw-this-and-i-couldnt) and [this](http://eli-sin-g.tumblr.com/tagged/too-lazy-n-sleepy) (18+ warning but you shouldn't be here if you're not 18 anyway lol)

It was almost strange, the things the different Sanses and Papyruses had in common. There were things that stayed the same, whether they were from swap universes or fell universes or whatever combination of the two, and there were things that differed pretty much how you would expect. Sure, Stretch and Slim were calmer than their counterparts, and Blue and Razz were much more into puzzles and cooking, but the similarities far outweighed the differences. 

All Papyruses were cunning, even if their goals changed based on where they came from. All Sanses were the older brothers, despite Blue’s first appearance. All Papyruses had an affinity for sweet things, be it honey or Muffet’s pastries or chocolate-cherry lava cake.

And all Sanses loved the stars. 

There was just something about the night sky, in all its magnificent glory, that called to them in a way that their brothers just didn’t seem to understand. Razz would sometimes stop dead in the middle of whatever he was doing to stare out the window, the corner of his mouth twitching upward, before returning to the task at hand. Blue was often found on the roof of his and his partner’s small house, just gazing upwards and imagining what all could be found up there, in the vast unknown. 

Sans and Red? They were, as dubbed by Stretch anytime either of them got going, “space nerds”. Their Sans-born love of the night sky combined with their scientist minds melded into something that, if you were not also one of these “space nerds”, would have you edging backwards out of the room, nodding and placing a few “Wow, that’s cool”s here and there to keep them distracted. It was something that both Papyrus and Fell had long since learned to tune out, but it still put little sparks of happiness in their eyelights to see their normally downcast brothers being so excited about something. 

All through the time that Sans and Red were struggling to relate to each other, strangely enough, they didn’t even  _ think _ to use the commonality to their advantage. It was only when Sans came running into the house like his ass was on fire, practically sprinting to the hall closet and almost falling off a dining room chair trying to get his telescope off the top shelf, that Red really even considered it. 

He tilted his head to one side, watching Sans from the kitchen doorway. “What the fuck are you doing?”

Sans jumped slightly, looking over his shoulder as though he hadn’t noticed Red was in the house at all. Then his face shifted, and he grinned excitedly, eyelights sparkling and face flushing bright blue. “PTF-11kly is visible tonight!”

Red looked at him blankly for about a split second, then his face lit up, and he took a half-step forward before he checked himself. He couldn’t help the grin on his face, though, even as Sans bounced down the stairs, stopping beside him and looking up excitedly. “Do you want to come see it with me?!”

Red didn’t even hesitate to say yes.

~~~

“...and some of the humans are saying that it’s ‘the supernova of a generation’!” Sans chattered excitedly, plopping down on the soft grass with no small amount of satisfaction. Red was looking through the telescope, his mind whirling through his own litany of facts and figures about the sight before them. 

He glanced over at Sans, who was still talking away (“And did you know, at its maximum brightness, it was equal to about 2.5  _ BILLION  _ suns?!”), and grinned. The other was completely caught up in his ramblings, eyelights glowing brightly and hands gesturing randomly, as though they were doing it of their own will. Red let go of the telescope, coming to sit next to the other and listen. He already knew the little tidbits Sans was throwing at him, but it was still nice to listen to them in the other’s voice. 

He frowned at himself, questioning the strange thought for a moment before he shrugged, falling backwards into the grass with his hands behind his head and looking up at the sprawl of stars. Sans paused in his talking, and Red looked over at him questioningly, wondering why he had stopped. To his surprise, Sans was looking at him, his eyelights having dimmed ever so slightly into a richer shade of their normal color, and a soft smile playing at the edges of his mouth. 

“What?” he asked, feeling himself flush at the expression in the other’s eyes. 

Sans just shrugged, then lay back to join him, resting his head on one of Red’s bent arms. The mood shifted slightly, growing ever so slightly warmer, but Red found himself not minding too much. He detached the arm from behind his head, lowering it to wrap around his alternate and tug him closer. 

Sans curled into him, throwing an arm over the other’s ribcage and sighing contentedly. “Space is so fucking cool,” Red heard him mumble, and he chuckled. The rumble of his chest made Sans look up at him, and Red caught a strange shift in his eyelights just as they met his, thought it was gone too quickly to make any sense of it. 

They just lay there for a while, the peaceful silence broken only by the sound of the warm wind through the grass and the crickets that could be heard somewhere off in the distance. Red could feel his eyelights growing heavy with the other’s body pressed so close to his, with the sky stretched above them and the night air surrounding them. It was...nice. Nicer than he’d felt in a while. 

Suddenly, his reverie was broken by Sans sitting up partially, pointing excitedly at something flashing across the sky. “Look, Red! A shooting star!” He turned back to him, half-propped on Red’s ribcage and eyelights full of an unusual wonder. “Make a wish!”

Red just looked at him for a long moment, soul swelling with an emotion he couldn’t put a name to. Then he reached out, wrapping both arms around the other as he sat up, pulling him in close, squeezing his eyes shut and pressing their foreheads together. He took a deep breath, just savoring all of this, then he said, “I wish...I wish this moment could last forever. I wish we could stay right here until we dust, just...looking up and thinking it’s so goddamn beautiful when it’s absolutely  _ nothing _ compared to...to…” He flushed, then, fingers tightening. He knew what he’d been about to say, but he couldn’t make himself actually  _ say  _ it. The words were stuck in his throat, the mere thought of them making his face light up until he was sure his entire face was crimson.

He cracked his eyes open, looking to see Sans’ reaction to the unsaid words. His eyelights were blown wide, wavering slightly as they took in Red’s face, the emotion in his expression and the sincerity in what few words he had let slip through. 

Then something seemed to shift, and Sans’ expression settled into something far safer as he grinned, leaning forward and clacking their teeth together in a chaste kiss before pushing him to lay back down. He laid his head on Red’s chest, adjusting slightly so that he could still look up and see the stars. “That was sappy as fuck,” he said, and Red could hear the grin in his voice. He rolled his eyes, bopping him on the head before he sighed. 

“What’s your wish?”

Sans considered for a long moment, just looking up and thinking. Red’s hand was brushing its way up and down the place where it had settled on Sans’ humerus, and he suppressed the urge to hum contentedly. 

“I wish I knew what an orgasm felt like.”

Red’s hand froze in its path, and Sans stifled his giggles for several long moments as the other processed what he had said. Suddenly, Sans felt himself being dislodged as Red sat up, glaring down at him with the smallest degree of amusement in his eyes. 

“Ex-fucking- _ scuse _ me?”

Sans snickered slightly, then muffled it with one hand before shrugging. “What? It’s an honest wish, I’ve just heard all about them and--”

Red rolled his eyes, then reached out to shove Sans out of his lap. Mock-angrily, he came up on his knees, leaning down to press Sans into the grass by the shoulders with a growl. Sans was grinning up at him, eyes alight with barely-restrained mirth. 

“Is there a problem?”

Red narrowed his eyes. “Are you  _ trying _ to get fucked, or are you just being an asshole?”

Sans tilted his head to one side, forcing his eyelights into stars and making his voice go up in pitch as he said, “What does that mean?” 

Red stifled a snort, then pressed in harder, leaning in closer with a predatory look in his eyelights. “Y’know, that’s actually fuckin’ creepy, the things I’ve seen Blue do.” 

Sans’ eyelights faded back to normal, and he grinned. “Does Blue know you’ve seen him do these things, or are you the creepy one here?”

“You are fucking insufferable.”

“I like to think I’m irresistible.”

Red gave him an unamused look, and Sans laughed aloud, thoroughly pleased with himself. He propped himself up on his elbows, putting their faces within a few inches of each other and grinning. “What? You don’t agree?”

In answer, Red suddenly reached up, seizing him by the chin and tilting his head up, leaning forward slightly so that his breath was leaving a heated mist on the other’s jaw line. “On the contrary…” he breathed, and Sans shuddered at the tone of his voice. “Wish fuckin’ granted.”

Sans barely had time to break into more amused giggles before they were morphing into a soft moan, Red’s tongue tracing a wet trail up the side of his neck. He tipped his head down, connecting them in a soft kiss. He could feel his tongue forming in response to Red’s heated breaths, and he let out another small groan. 

Red took advantage of the opening, pulling Sans into his lap as he ravaged his mouth, hands tracing down his body as though he were something precious, something that maybe,  _ just fucking maybe _ , could be treasured. 

Sans could feel something burning behind his eyes at the thought, so he squeezed them shut, pressing himself closer to his alternate and wrapping his arms carefully around his neck. The fingers of one hand trailed up the back of Red’s vertebrae, and the larger skeleton grinned slightly, savoring the light touches. In one smooth motion, he turned over, laying Sans down on his back and looming over him as he broke the kiss. 

Sans’ eyes were still closed, but Red took a moment to just look down at him, wondering at the swelling of his soul and, for some reason, wishing he could have more of the feeling. 

He leaned down, pressing kiss after gentle kiss to the other’s face and jaw, mapping out every inch of the smooth bone. Sans still had his arms wrapped around the back of his neck, and he seemed to be trying to use that grip to pull the other as close as he could possibly be. 

Red pulled away from the kisses, instead just letting his mouth hover close to the other’s as his scarred hands pressed into every sensitive spot on Sans’ body. He seemed intent on wringing every reaction he could from the other that he could, every gasp of breath and tightening of his body, and Sans couldn’t help but oblige him. 

His shirt was pulled over his head, fingers brushing over his ribs, and Red never took his eyes from the other’s face. Sans opened his eyes, once, but upon seeing the other’s expression, he quickly closed them again, tugging Red down for another kiss as he felt his shorts being eased off. 

This was something so different from anything they’d ever really done before, something slow and soft and caring. It didn’t need words, or anything, really, other than to hold each other closer and resist the urge to give more of themselves than they’d ever even wanted to before.

And even as Sans’ body was screaming at him to throw his head back and moan, all he really wanted to do was keep his face buried in Red’s neck, where he could breathe in the scent that was so wholly  _ his _ and pretend this meant everything it felt like it meant. 

As it ended, and Sans finally did let himself scream, Red smiled down at him, something almost cocky in his expression. Sans’ soul fluttered at the expression, and he couldn’t help but smile back. 

At this point, denying that he was anything but completely, irrevocably, _unconditionally_ in love with Red would have been pure stupidity. 

“So  _ that’s _ an orgasm!”

But then again…

Red snorted, magic dispelling as he leaned forward to plant a kiss on Sans’ brow. “Yeah, sure was. What, are you going to wish for another one?”

...It was pure stupidity to let himself fall in the first place.

“As if I need to wish, it’s been, what, a week and a half? You’ve gotta be burstin’ at the seams, right?”

He really should have known better. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> GO FOLLOW BECKYSHECKY AND ALLIDRAWISKUSTARD ON TUMBLR RIGHT THE HELL NOW GUYS THEY ARE AMAZING  
> They drew a sfw [comic](https://beckyshecky.tumblr.com/post/158880871189/do-not-remove-credits-story-by-crushingonsans) of this chapter and it couldn't be more amazing
> 
> [Narration](https://youtu.be/BkUxE84aK1k) for this chapter!!!


	12. Why not do it in public fuck yeah

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I thought you guys might need a little bit more of a smutty one instead of all this angst I've been giving you lately XD
> 
> [Song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ec_Hu_WktxU) of the chapter.

_ RIIINNNGGGGGG!!!! _

Red groaned blearily, throwing one hand in the general direction of his nightstand and hoping that, by some miracle, that would shut up the noise that was disrupting what had actually been a pretty good dream for once. 

_ RIIINNNGGGGGG!!!! _

No such luck, apparently. He forced his eyes open, turning his head to look at his nightstand. Sleepily, he managed to grab his phone, pulling it close enough to his face that he could see the caller ID. 

Fuck. 

Sighing, he pushed himself up to sit, causing Sans to grumble and roll away from him to cuddle into the mattress instead. Red closed one eye, trying to focus down on him as he answered the phone. “What the fuck do you want?” he asked semi-quietly, his voice raspy from sleep. 

“NYEH! HEH! HEEEHHHH!!!”

Instead of jumping in terror, as Fell had probably intended, Red just blinked, pulling the phone away from his face to stare at it for a moment before bringing it back to his ear. “Why?”

“Because, brother, I knew you must still be in bed, and I knew I had to wake you up. You must prepare for tonight’s dinner!”

With a groan of utmost despair, Red sank back down into the bed, rolling over to bury his face into Sans’ shoulder. “Boss, it’s fuckin…” he glanced up at the clock and gave another groan. “Eight in the mornin’! The dinner isn’t for ten hours, can you just fuck completely off?”

“I cannot fuck off!” Fell’s voice was entirely too loud, and Red winced as Sans stirred, blinking his own eyes open and looking down at the phone like it’d offended his ancestors. Fell continued, “There would be no one to tell you to get the hell out of bed and prepare for the things that need doing!”

Red propped himself up on an elbow so that Sans could roll over onto his back before letting himself fall back onto the other’s chest. Chuckling too softly to be heard over the phone, Sans settled his arms across Red’s back and closed his eyes, listening to the conversation. 

“Good. Then nobody’d be wakin’ me up at the ass-crack of dawn to tell me to do shit that doesn’t even need doin’,” Red mumbled, reaching down with his free hand to pull the blanket more securely over the two of them. Sans’ shirt smelled like mint and camomile, and he resisted the urge to turn his face into it.

“Dinner takes a lot to prepare! What are you planning to make?” Fell demanded, his voice unusually shrill, even for him. How the fuck had Stretch managed to get to the point where he wanted to fucking  _ marry _ this asshole?

The rise and fall of Sans’ breathing slowed slightly, but he wasn’t asleep, eyes now cracked open and watching him with a tired smile. Red glanced up at him with a conspiratorial wink, then put Fell on speaker, signalling for quiet before setting the phone on Sans’ ribcage next to his own face. 

“I was just thinking we could run by Grillby’s--”

A loud screech emanated from the phone, and Sans stifled his giggles with one hand as Red grinned up at him. “What’s wrong, Boss?”

“YOU HAD BETTER BE JOKING OR I SWEAR TO ASGORE--”

“I’ll be  _ royally _ screwed?” 

“THIS IS NOT THE TIME FOR PUNS!”

Red snorted, scooting his butt over to the side so that he was closer to Sans’ warmth. “It’s always the time for puns, Boss.”

There was a huff of annoyance over the speaker, and Red grinned again, giving into his urge and turning to press his face into the other’s chest. Sans adjusted the phone so that it wouldn’t fall off, and turned so that they were tucked more securely into each other. The bed creaked, and Red snorted as he could practically hear the wheels turning in his brother’s head. 

“Are you still in bed? For fuck’s sakes, you need to--”

“Sounds great, Boss,” Red said, reaching up and pushing the button to hang up the call. Sans laughed quietly before he groaned, reaching up to rub his eyes. “Is it really eight in the morning?”

Red nodded, face still buried in the shirt as he tried to will himself back to sleep. There were a few moments of peaceful silence, with Sans quietly stroking Red’s back and letting his eyes fall shut. Then, he murmured, “You know he’s going to call you again, right?”

“Yeah. Then he’ll probably come over here if I’m still in bed. Fuckin’ busybody.”

Sans smiled, cracking his eyes open and looking down at the top of the other’s skull. “He is right, though. We probably shouldn’t get Grillby’s.”

Red propped himself up on his elbows grumpily, giving Sans a look of exasperation. “Grillby’s cooking is gonna be better than anything we make.”

Sans’ hands slipped up, cupping Red’s cheeks as he leaned forward and gave him a chaste kiss. Red smiled into it, his tiredness making him appreciate how good it felt even more than usual. Sans broke the kiss, and Red leaned forward to get another one, but Sans just laughed and flopped back, throwing an arm over his eyes and groaning again. 

“I’ll just go to the store and buy a pre-made--”

_ RIIINNNGGGGGG!!!! _

Sans jumped slightly at the noise, then laughed at the long-suffering expression on Red’s face. Red reached under the smaller skeleton, prying his phone out from under his ribcage before making a motion like he was opening a flip phone. Sans snorted, then clamped his mouth shut as Red hit the talk button. 

“I’M ALREADY AWAKE, FUCK OFF!”

~~~

“Why don’t we do this pre-made shit more often?” Red asked as he slid the tray into the oven. Sans was perched on the counter, swinging his legs and not even pretending to be hurt that he’d been banned from touching anything flammable. 

“Because it’s expensive and takes like--” Sans glanced over at the box, then back at Red, “--45 minutes to cook.”

Red made a face, glancing up at the clock. Instead of spending the day preparing for the dinner party like Fell had told them to, they’d played Mario Kart until 4 in the afternoon, snacking on chips and condiments and generally avoiding any responsibility. When they’d finally realized exactly how much of the day they’d wasted, Sans had immediately teleported to the shower, leaving Red to go the store to get the food. By the time they’d cleaned themselves (thoroughly) and the house (somewhat) it was nearly time for the others to arrive. Currently, they had about half an hour before they’d all be there. 

“Eh, we can just entertain them until the food’s done. They’ll never know it wasn’t homemade.”

Sans snorted, choosing not to make a comment on the differences between this and the last hommade thing Red had made.

“So…” he said casually, hopping down from the counter and crossing to stand behind Red as he closed the stove and started the timer. “What are we supposed to do while we wait for it to cook?”

Red glanced back at him suspiciously as he picked up the box, breaking it down quickly before setting it aside. “What are you insinuating we do?”

Sans snorted. “Well, I wasn’t suggesting  _ that _ , but now that it’s out there…”

“I don’t think we have time for _ that _ , with how long you take to--”

Sans smacked him on the arm, and Red snickered, turning around and leaning back against the counter before holding out his arms. Sans stepped into them without question, a thoughtful look on his face as he rested his cheek on the other’s shoulder. “I mean, no one ever said we had to  _ stop _ when they get here.”

Red nodded absentmindedly, then seemed to realized what the other had said, freezing and staring down at him. “Uh...I don’t think that’s the kind of entertainment I was...Fuck, I never took ya for an exhibitionist, Sans…”

Sans snorted loudly, trying to hold in his laughter. “That’s not entirely what I meant...Just…” he snorted again, then pulled away, grabbing Red’s hand and tugging him in the direction of the stairs. “C’mere. I’ll show you.”

~~~

They had just finished up with their preparations when there was a sudden knock on the door. Red immediately tensed up, tugging down on the bottom of his shirt like he was afraid a random burst of wind was going to lift it and show off his secret. 

Sans smiled at his nervousness and rubbed his back, equal parts miffed and relieved that Red had refused to let him anywhere near the receiving end of their plan. “It’s okay,” he murmured quietly, recognizing that his reassurances were more important at the moment than answering the door. “All you have to do is say the safe word and it’ll be done, we can step out for a minute and take care of it.”

Red nodded rapidly, smiling at him quickly to communicate his thankfulness for the reminder. “It’ll be fine. At least I’m quieter than you.”

Snorting, Sans nudged him in the ribs before moving to answer the door. He glanced back one more time, and at Red’s approving nod, turned the handle and swung it open. 

Fell was almost immediately in the house, walking straight to the kitchen to look for evidence of Grillby’s bags. Sans rolled his eyes and turned to Stretch with a smile. “Hey,” he greeted, stepping aside so that the other could properly enter the house. Stretch grinned down at him, shifting uncomfortably on his feet for a moment before Sans said, “Dude, you don’t need to wait until we tell you that you can sit down. You’re pregnant, you get to do whatever you want, right?”

Stretch laughed, crossing the room as he whispered conspiratorially, “Yeah, you’d think so, wouldn’t you?”

Red made an attempt at a grin, propping his elbows on the couch by Stretch’s head and focusing down at him. “Is the control freak still not letting you have Muffet’s?”

In answer, Stretch just made a face that reminded them of dramatic movies where the main character had just lost a loved one to disease. 

“Well,” said Fell, poking his head back in from the kitchen. “There is no evidence of fires or plastic bags, but whatever you have in the oven still has 15 minutes left to cook.”

Red nodded sagely, still at the back of the couch as Sans threw himself down into the armchair, ready to await the arrival of the other two. “Yeah, we just thought it might be nice to have a little bit of time to hang out before we actually ate the food.”

Stretch snorted, but Fell hadn’t ever really been one to keep his comments to himself. He narrowed his eyes, looking between the two of them. “You forgot to put it in the oven until it was too late, didn’t you?”

“How dare you assume we wouldn’t have taken responsibility!”

“Yeah, actually, pretty much.”

Sans and Red were talking over one another, making it hard to hear what exactly they were saying, but Fell was still frowning at them, looking like he was about to say something. 

In a moment of perfect timing only found in books and movies, the doorbell rang. Before Sans could move, Red was crossing the room. “I’ll get it!” he called, not being at all subtle about his avoidance of his brother’s lectures. 

He pulled open the door and pretended not to see anything, looking around for a moment before dramatically looking down. “Oh! I didn’t see you there!” he exclaimed, a wide grin on his face as he leaned across the doorway. “Razz, have you gotten shorter?”

Razz rolled his eyes, forcibly pushing him out of the way and trying to step past him. “Fuck off, you have maybe four inches on me.”

Red waggled his eyebrows, but before he could respond to the innuendo, Blue huffed, grabbing Razz’s arm and stopping him from body-checking Red into his own house. “Hello, Red. Thank you for having us.”

“Oh, no problem, Blue, it’s always nice to have  _ you _ ov--”

His words were cut off with a strangled gasp as a low buzzing started up, his eyelights blowing wide with a strangely exciting mix of fear and arousal. He could feel the vibes that were taped to his sternum, spine, coccyx, and either side of his pubic symphysis starting to vibrate, even the lowest setting making him momentarily unable to think. 

Oh, that  _ dick _ …

He regained control of himself as quickly as he could, all too aware of his two alternate’s eyes on him. “Sorry…” he said, quickly searching for an explanation that would make any sort of sense. “My, uh...I had a cramp?”

Razz opened his mouth, probably to shoot off something insulting, but Blue clapped a hand over it, smiling brightly. “Oh, I’m sorry, Red! But would you mind if we came in? I think some people are a little hangry.” 

Red wasn’t entirely sure he could fucking  _ move _ without making this problem worse, and he was so gonna kill--

Oh.

It stopped. He straightened carefully, resisting the urge to glare over his shoulder as Razz let out a muffled protest around Blue’s hand. 

“Yeah, of course, come on in.” Red said, somewhat shakily standing aside for them to enter. He was so gonna get back at Sans for this bullshit. 

~~~

Over the course of the next 45 minutes, Red’s resolve had been all but shattered. He didn’t have to get back at anyone, but if he didn’t have sex sometime in the next ten seconds, he was going to punch something. Every few minutes, Sans would subtly press a button in his sleeve, causing the vibrations to start. Then he would turn a dial, upping and lowering the intensity at his goddamn  _ pleasure _ , and it was driving Red fucking insane. 

Every time it would happen, and inevitably when he was trying to have a conversation with someone, he would tense up, suppressing groans as the wonderfully torturous sensations rolled through him. He’d had a dripping pussy summoned for the last 20 minutes, and he  _ never _ summoned that particular set of genitals. It had him shifting in his seat, half out of discomfort from the strange wetness, and half out of a desire to get any sort of stimulation he could. 

Dinner was finished, now, and everyone was beginning to make their way into the living room, but Red was stuck in his seat. If he was being entirely honest with himself, he wasn’t completely sure he could actually walk. Soon enough, he was the only person left at the table. Razz looked back at him strangely, eyes searching him up and down for the reason he was gripping at the edge of the table and shivering. He glared over at him, but he was too distracted to give it any real venom. His body felt way too hot, and he just knew that his joints and face were flushed.

Now that he was thinking about it, he wasn’t entirely sure that if he stood up, there wouldn’t be a goddamn puddle on his chair. 

_ Fuck _ Sans.

He dropped his face down onto the cold wood of the table, taking a deep breath in an attempt to steady himself. After a few moments, he looked to the side, noticing everyone staring at him, Sans looking more concerned than the rest of them. He saw him shift slightly, and the vibrating stimulation slowed to a stop, allowing him to relax. He panted for a moment, then gathered his legs under him, pushing up to stand carefully. His stance was shaky, but he managed it, balancing for a moment before turning to walk and join them. 

“Are you...okay?” Blue asked, looking worried. 

Red nodded quickly, glancing over at Sans before he looked back at Blue. “Yeah. I’m just tired. Uh...hey, Sans, can I talk to you for a s-sec?” He shifted slightly, and his sensitive magic brushed against the insides of his clothes. He shivered, then forced himself still, grimacing over at his roommate. 

Sans nodded quickly, standing and gesturing for the others to look around the living room. “Feel free to entertain yourselves for a few minutes.” He grinned over at Fell, and said, “I think we still have Mario Kart loaded up from when we were preparing for dinner.”

Fell huffed as the two went left the room, the conversation picking up quietly as the door shut behind them, cutting off the searching view of one skeleton in particular.

As soon as the door was closed, Red surged forward, grabbing Sans by the shoulders and slamming him into the wall with a growl. “I cannot fucking take this anymore!” he hissed into the side of the other’s skull.

Sans just grinned, pointedly reaching into his sleeve and turning the vibrations back on. “You can’t take what anymore?”

Red growled, leaning forward and digging his teeth into Sans’ cervical vertebrae. Sans bit back a moan, hips pressing forward into Red’s. The larger pulled back, beginning to pant again from the stimulation from the vibes, and pressed their teeth together in a deep kiss. He could feel Sans’ hands wandering across his body, and he sighed in relief as he felt fingers dip below his waistband. 

There was a sound of surprise, and Sans broke the kiss, looking at him in surprise. “Is that a--”

In answer, Red, ground forward onto the other’s fingers, biting his summoned tongue to stifle a moan as they brushed across his sensitive clit. 

“Shut the fuck up and just fuuaaAAHH!!”

He clapped one hand over his own mouth as Sans shifted, burying two fingers deep inside of him. His eyes widened in delight as he began pumping, a smirk taking over his face as he felt the evidence of Red’s arousal. “Damn, Red...you’re really fucking wet.”

Red didn’t have it in him to answer, whining lowly as he rocked into the other’s fingers. He was so damn close already, as a result of the damn teasing over the course of the evening. Sans grinned, peppering kisses all over his face as Red’s eyelights blew out, the evidence of how close he was written all over his face. 

Awkardly, from only having one free hand, Sans managed to reach the dial, and he cranked the vibrations up to their highest settings. Red gasped, then bit back onto Sans’ neck to muffle himself as he came, shaking. Liquids gushed out over Sans’ fingers, and Red collapsed forward into him as it ended, almost completely spent. 

Carefully, Sans removed his fingers, bringing them out of the other’s pants and up to his face. He was panting slightly, his own eyelights hazed slightly from the biting and the feeling of Red clenching and fluttering around his fingers. 

Red glanced up tiredly just in time to see the wet fingers go into Sans’ mouth, the smaller winking over at him as he used his tongue to clean the slick off of them. When he finished, Red found himself wishing that tongue could currently be used to clean other things. He straightened up slightly, intending to tell him so, but instead, Sans twined his arms around the back of his neck, pulling him into another deep kiss. 

They melted into one another, like they always did, and Red couldn’t help but let his hands wander, fingers ghosting over the other’s iliac crests and the bottom few ribs as he--

The door creaked open, and they sprang halfway apart, Red’s shaky legs not letting him go very far before Sans was having to catch him again. They both turned towards the doorway, eyes wide at being caught.

Razz was outlined in the doorway, and he had a triumphant look on his face as he hissed, “I fucking knew it!” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Narration](https://youtu.be/QYO6qSW4YPY) for this chapter!


	13. Will your mouth still remember the taste of deez nuts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry about the title. (No I'm not)
> 
> So...uh...yeah. Here ya go. Sorry it took me so long, I started it over probably three or four times. I hope you guys like it!
> 
> The [song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DMtww85LTCg) of the beginning part (the second part has its own track, linked in-text, but you're welcome to just listen to this song through the whole thing, it fits pretty well)

“I think we still have Mario Kart loaded up from when we were preparing for dinner.”

The door shut, and Razz narrowed his eyes, leaning back slightly in his chair. Beside him, Blue struck up a conversation with his brother as Fell huffily considered the Wii. 

Razz had spent years training under the greatest soldier in the underground, in one of the most dangerous worlds in the multiverse. His observational skills were tuned to the absolute max, a talent born of necessity when any small unobserved detail could mean death. 

Something was going on.

Just a couple months ago, Sans and Red had  _ despised _ one another. Blue gossiped enough about the others in the group that Razz knew every little thing Sans had ever complained to him about. Red was a dick, Red didn’t have any sense of courtesy, Red left his dirty socks on top of Sans’ clean laundry again, Red this, Red that. It was almost as though the larger of the two had taken far too much pride in pushing every single one of his roommate’s buttons. 

But then, something had just...changed. He hadn’t realized it at the time, even as detail-oriented as he was, but looking back, there had definitely been some sort of turning point. He’d stopped hearing about them complaining, the tension between them seemed to have dissolved into something much friendlier, and there was just an overall air between them that Blue had remarked on more than once. Apparently they were “almost cuter than us!”.

Well, fuck them.

Razz pulled his mind back to the point, and frowned at the still-closed kitchen door. There was definitely something happening that he didn’t know about, and it was driving him insane. He  _ had _ to know. 

Standing suddenly and ignoring the strange look Blue shot him, he crossed the room, stopping outside the kitchen door and listening carefully. He couldn’t hear much of anything, courtesy of the chatter in the living room, but there was still something bothering him, something he couldn’t quite… 

His eyes fell on the wrinkled afghan draped over the back of the couch, and a piece fell into place. 

_ “We were fucking in a fort, Razz, haven’t you ever tried it?” _

No way…

Razz glanced back at the others, making sure no one was paying attention to him, then quickly turned the handle and opened the door, looking to the side just in time to see Red trying to jump away from Sans, only to fail and collapse right back into the other’s arms. They were both staring at him guiltily, and he couldn’t repress the victorious grin stretching across his face. “I fucking knew it!”

More agilely than he would have thought possible from the lazy skeleton, Sans turned and deposited Red to lean back against the counter. A few reasons for why Red couldn’t quite seem to stand on his own were flashing through his mind, and Razz made a face as he realized exactly what he might have walked in on if he’d gotten impatient just a little bit sooner. Maybe this was why his brother was always telling him to think things through.

“Shut the goddamn door!” Sans hissed, tugging Razz out of the way and shutting it quickly. No one in the living room appeared to have noticed anything amiss, Blue still chatting with Stretch and Fell trying to figure out the controller strap for the Wii. 

Razz grinned sideways at Sans, his hands on his hips as he mentally patted himself on the back. Oh, man, this was golden. He couldn’t wait to tell their brothers and Blue, see the look on Fell’s face when he found out that his brother was da--

“What the fuck are you doing in here?” Red grumbled, looking somewhat put out. Razz could imagine why, and it only increased his smugness.

“I fucking knew something was up with you two! I knew there had to be a reason you were getting along so well!” He grinned between them, enjoying this probably far too much. 

“What are you even talking about?”

Sans and Razz both turned to look at Red, Sans’ expression of exasperated disbelief almost making Razz burst out laughing, but he managed to hold it in. “Red, if you’re going to lie, at least make it believable.”

Sans made a face as he turned back to look at Razz again, shoving his hands in his pockets and leaning back against the door. “You can’t tell anyone about this.”

“Why the fuck not? I would pay to see the look on Fell’s face when he finds out that you’re--”

Red was already shaking his head, his embarrassed flush from getting caught in his lie beginning to fade. “No, Razz, you can’t tell anyone. Not even Blue.”

Razz snorted, rolling his eyes until he realized they were serious. Frowning, he folded his arms and raised a brow. “Why the fuck wouldn’t I tell Blue? I tell him everything.” There was a long silence, and he caught the two of them exchanging glances. Frustrated, he threw his hands into the air, almost missing the way Red flinched back from the motion. “Well?!”

“We don’t want anyone to know,” Sans said quietly. 

Razz huffed. “Okay, I know I was making fun of you, but no one’s gonna give a shit that you’re dating. I don’t think anyone will even be terribly surprised, when it comes down to it.”

Red snorted, shifting his weight to his other leg as he rubbed at one arm. “Yeah, that’d be great if we  _ were _ dating.”

Narrowing his eyes, Razz said, “How stupid do you think I am, exactly? What, were you just making out in the kitchen as bros?”

Sans snorted loudly, and Red cracked a smile before shrugging slightly. “We’re just fucking. It helps us put up with each other.”

Razz was incredibly observant. There wasn’t a whole lot that passed under his gaze, and very little of that that didn’t fit into the puzzle-piece way he tended to see the world. So, despite his confusion and amusement with the whole situation, he didn’t miss the forced casualness of Red’s words, or the way that Sans’ gaze dropped and shoulders tightened. The atmosphere in the room grew heavier for just a split second before relaxing, and he looked between them for a few seconds as they avoided each other’s gazes.

Well. 

He was not going near  _ that _ with a 35 and a half foot pole.

“Why the fuck does that make a difference?” he asked instead, finding himself relieved as they both seemed to relax, turning their attention to his question. “So, you’re fuck buddies. It’s not exactly a new and strange concept for anyone over the age of 14.”

Sans shrugged slightly. “We didn’t want to upset any of the more...romantic people we knew.”

Razz huffed, folding his arms. It had been three fucking years since the timelines had begun merging. “Blue isn’t a child.” Why couldn’t anyone seem to realize that Blue hadn’t been a child since...well, since even before Stretch fucked with the damn machine. “He can handle the idea of friends with benefits.”

Sans shrugged slightly, and Razz glared at him. Sans, of all people, should know better. Other than Stretch and himself, Sans knew Blue the best. 

“It would upset my brother, at least. And Blue can’t keep a secret to save his life.”

Red nodded slightly, and Razz frowned. “What do you mean?”

“He’s a fuckin’ blabbermouth,” Red mumbled, and Razz turned his glare on him.

“He is not! He knows tons of shit about me, and he’s never told--”

“Yeah, _Daddy_ , he’s  fantastic at keeping your secrets,” Sans interrupted, smirking slightly.

…

Razz was going to  _ kill _ Blue. 

“Fine. I won’t tell him,” Razz huffed, leaning back against the wall. He did his best to ignore the way the two were looking at him, smug smiles on their faces. Whatever. At least he didn’t have sex in the kitchen while the rest of their family was out in the living room. Now  _ that _ would be stupid. They might get fucking caught. Huh. 

“How exactly does all of  _ this _ …” Razz gestured between them, “...work? Do you just...do it when you get mad? Or is it more of an occasional thing?”

Red shrugged, shifting up to stand more securely as he gained some of the strength back to his legs. He glanced over at Sans, who was trying to hide a grin, and smirked. “It’s definitely not occasional.”

Sans winked at Razz, leaning casually against the door. “We have sex like twice a day sometimes, since you’re bein’ nosy about it.”

There was a long pause, during which Razz attempted to keep his mouth from hanging open. He glanced over at Red, who was nodding sagely, and leaned slightly in his direction. “How the fuck do you get him to--”

“Hey!”

Razz snickered before straightening, tilting his head to one side as he considered them. “Does it really work? Keeping it casual?”

There was a long silence, Red glancing over to watch the expression on Sans’ face as he stared at the floor, something flickering in both of their eyelights that Razz was having no trouble identifying. These fucking idiots…

“Yeah.” Sans murmured, scratching the back of his neck and still looking down at the ground. “Yep, it’s totally--”

Suddenly, the door burst open, a very frustrated Fell entering into the room and crossing directly to his brother. He shoved the Wii-mote in his hands into Red’s face and loudly said, “I can’t figure out your fucking bullshit controller, come help me.” 

Even as they all laughed, Red taking the controller from his brother and somehow managing to walk himself all the way out to the living room to show him how to work the Wii, Razz could feel the tension between them. There was something unresolved between the roommates, something they really,  _ really _ , needed to figure the fuck out. 

It’s not like Razz was in any way the person to help them do that, but…

Sans was watching Red leave the kitchen with something more than amusement in his eyes, the smile on his face deeper than Razz would have expected him to even be capable of. There was something in the way he watched Red that made Razz think about Blue, the surefire happiness that was usually in his eyes whenever he caught sight of him. There was also something, however, that reminded Razz of…

He shook his head, doing his best to shake off the memories. After all, this was a completely different situation. Sans hadn’t lost Red. He was right there in front of him, entirely within reach. 

They’d be fine.

~~~

Nodding along to whatever Blue was talking about, Sans very slowly and purposefully closed the door in his face, shouting out a quick goodbye just as the crack closed then immediately turning and resting his back against the door. He let out a sigh of relief, making eye contact with Red and chuckling quietly before shaking his head. 

“Well that was fun.”

Red snorted, glancing over into their messier-than-usual living room. “Yeah, it was great…” He looked back at Sans, who was rubbing his eye sockets tiredly. 

Razz hadn’t said anything after they gone back into the party, not even giving him a sideways glance when he’d excused himself to go take off the vibes. It almost surprised him how well he’d kept his promise, but he supposed it shouldn’t have. Razz was still a Sans, after all. 

Stretching carefully, he leaned over, picking up a Wii controller that had been thrown across the room by an irate Fell. “We should probably clean up, yeah?”

Sans snorted, pushing himself up from the wall and pulling his phone out of his pocket. “Wow, you suggesting we clean. What has the world come to?”

Rolling his eyes, Red said, “Hey, I’m not suggesting we, like, vacuum or anything. That’d just be weird.” Sans snorted, walking into the kitchen to put away what food Blue hadn’t already taken care of for them, and Red called after him, “Hey, can you put on some music while you’re in there?”

In answer, there was the chirp of the speaker turning on, followed by loud  [ music ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RqGm3oKlKnc) . Red snorted as he caught sight of Sans bobbing his head dramatically, his dancing purposefully bad just to make the other laugh. Red picked up another remote and straightened the afghan as he kept an eye on Sans, snickering quietly at the view. Sans finished what he was doing, coming back into the living room just in time for the chorus to start, and Red immediately started to  [ dance ](https://33.media.tumblr.com/a808a95c14f60ae563edf23e6904a591/tumblr_mpebbj7K9J1suwe37o3_500.gif) , making Sans laugh loudly and join him. 

Still dancing and pretending not to even notice Sans was there, despite the grin on his face, Red made his way to one of the pillows scattered across the floor, tossing it in the direction of the couch in his best impression of a Michael Jackson move. Sans snorted again, picking up a different pillow and tossing it in the direction of the couch with none of the theatrics, bobbing his head more softly now as he watched the other. Red turned his mega-watt grin on Sans, winking as he started doing the cabbage patch. Sans snorted, checking to make sure that the living room was completely cleaned up before turning his attention back to his roommate, who was now spinning wildly for no apparent reason.

They moved through the rest of the house, doing dishes and picking up small messes as the playlist continued, both dancing like idiots and generally having a fantastic time. There was some loud singing by Red that Sans immediately shushed, fearful of their neighbors complaining about them torturing stray cats. Red reacted to the insinuation about his singing skills by increasing his volume and forcing Sans to physically clap a hand across his mouth, both dissolving into laughter. 

When the house was more or less cleaned up, Sans stretched, grinning sideways at Red. “Well--” he started, but Red cut him off as a new  [ song ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lp-EO5I60KA) started. 

“Y’know, I’d never admit it to anyone else, but I fucking love this song…” he said, waggling his eyebrows invitingly and holding out one hand in a clear invitation. 

Sans immediately flushed a bright blue, staring between the extended hand and the semi-serious look on Red’s face with his mouth hanging open. There were a few moments of awkward silence, broken only by the strains of the singer’s voice and piano keys, and Red’s smile started to fade. 

“Sorry,” he said quietly, starting to retract the hand, “I didn’t mean to--”

“No!” Sans said, shaking his head quickly and grabbing the hand, pulling it into his chest. “No, it’s okay! You just...just surprised me, is all.”

Red grinned brightly, reaching out with his other hand and pulling Sans in close. “I think I could definitely dance like the girl in that music video,” he said as he took a step back, dragging Sans along with him before turning in a slow circle. 

Sans laughed, lifting his arms to wrap them around Red’s neck and swaying side to side in time with the music. “Yeah, I’m sure. I’m not about to try and fuckin’ pick you up, though!”

Red snorted, his hands tightening slightly on the other’s waist before shifting his grip and dropping Sans into a half-assed dip. “I’m totally a great dancer, no matter what you think,” he murmured, winking. Still half bent over backwards, Sans grinned, pulling himself up for a kiss.

“Maybe you should just stick with what you’re good at,” he said brightly, and Red made a motion like he was going to drop him. Sans laughed, tightening his grip before Red pulled him back up to stand straight. They went back to their previous spinning/swaying motion, and Red found himself mumbling along to the lyrics. 

He didn’t miss the way Sans’ eyes were lighting up with happiness, growing minutely closer with every step until he was pressed against Red’s chest, arms still wrapped tightly around one another. They held each other close enough that the humming vibrations of Red’s quiet singing were rumbling their way through Sans’ body as well. 

“So baby now...take me into your lovin’ arms…” Red said quietly, not really singing so much at this point as he was just talking. He leaned down, letting his forehead rest against the top of the other’s head and closing his eyes. “Kiss me under the light of a thousand stars…”

Sans closed his eyes tightly, breathing in the scent of the other, the cigarettes and the cinnamon and that fucking cologne, and just…

“Oh darling, place your head on my beating heart…”

...just pretending, for a moment, that everything had worked out exactly in the way he wished it could. He could feel Red’s soft breaths stirring against the top of his head, the murmured words making his soul swell with something he recognized all too well by now. 

“I’m thinking out loud…”

Suddenly, there were fingers under his chin, and Red had moved his head away, lifting Sans’ face so that they were looking right into each other’s faces. Red’s eyes burned with something easily recognizable, and Sans felt his breath hitch.

“That maybe we found love right where we are…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Razz would be the best [relationship councilor](https://crushingonsans.tumblr.com/post/159403660789/rabbitpietale-um-i-have-an-excuse-for-this-i) AMIRIGHT
> 
> [String Theory Deleted Scene](http://archiveofourown.org/works/9348767/chapters/24645456) (pure fuckin porn lmao)


	14. This is so gay

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The title says it all, honestly.  
> Sorry about it being a bit shorter of a chapter, but I think the content might make it worth it. 
> 
> [Song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DHAZFZm4ZA8&t=880s) of the chapter.

The music faded to a close, the next song started, but Sans found himself frozen, staring up at Red like he was the only thing that mattered in the world. The emotion in those crimson eyes was unmistakable, but Sans still felt doubt darkening its way through his soul, making his eyes well up with tears and the grip of his arms loosen. 

There was no way that Red could ever…

The question in the other’s eyes switched to a kind of panic as Sans pulled himself away, taking a few steps back and wrapping his arms around himself. Red’s eyes were wide, filled with regret and pain, and Sans’ panicking brain interpreted that in the only way he could. He shook his head softly, taking another step back as his gaze dropped, equal parts unwilling and unable to meet Red’s eyes. 

“I-I’m sor--”

Before Red could finish his sentence, Sans fled, turning and taking the stairs two at a time and slamming his bedroom door behind him in his rush to get away. The tears that had been pooling in his eyes finally started to spill over, and he pushed them away as he stumbled across the room to his bed. He sat carefully, burying his face in his hands and beginning to sob quietly.

He wasn’t...Red wouldn’t…

He knew, somewhere deep inside his mind, that he was being completely irrational. The look in Red’s eyes when he’d been downstairs had been everything that Sans himself knew he felt, but it was just…

It was so  _ impossible _ . 

Sans had been fucked up his whole life. Everything that could possibly go wrong for him had, and it had left him feeling so thoroughly, irreparably  _ damaged _ that he had no idea how to recover. But Red...well, he was so damn  _ strong _ ...living his life in an absolute hellhole and coming out the other side better off than Sans himself. He could never compare, he could never even begin to measure up to Red.

How could he have been so completely  _ stupid _ to let himself fall in love with someone he had no hopes of being good enough for? 

How could he have stopped himself, though?

There came a tentative knock on the door, Red’s worried voice drifting past the painted wood. “Sans? Are you okay?”

Red was...he was everything Sans could never be. He was stronger than Sans could believe, kinder than he seemed at first glance, thoroughly caring and considerate in a way that Sans struggled to even understand. How he had ever had the tense relationship with him that he once had...well, he had no idea. He had no idea about a lot of things, lately.

“I’m so sorry, Sans, I...I just thought…” Red trailed off, and Sans could almost imagine the look on his face, exasperation tinged with worry, dragging the tips of his fingers softly against the phalanges of the opposite hand. 

To have more with Red was just an impossible thought, something that had seemed so far out of reach for such a long time that Sans had completely given up on the idea. They would always just be...whatever they were, until Red moved on and found someone he actually cared about.

Wouldn’t they?

There were a lot of things that used to seem impossible that seemed a lot easier with Red.

There was a quiet thump, and Sans glanced up, his tears slowing to a stop as he imagined Red leaning with his head against the door. Maybe…

Maybe it wasn’t as impossible as his mind was screaming at him that it was. 

He stood shakily, crossing the room in a few steps and laying one hand across the handle. He hesitated for a split second, wiping away a few tear tracks. Then he turned the handle slowly, peeking through carefully. Red had backed away when he saw the door opening, and he was wringing his hands just as Sans had imagined, the same look of worry on his face from before. 

They made eye contact, and there was a split second of hesitation before Sans had the door open all the way, looking up at Red and gathering his courage. This felt like one of those “make-or-break” moments Blue was always talking about, where you could either take the leap or play it safe and whatever you chose would change absolutely everything. 

Red shoved his hands in the pockets of his shorts, gaze dropping as emotion played over his face. “I’m so sorry, Sans. I didn’t mean to make it all...awkward. I just...I’ve kind of...Well, I’ve been thinking a lot, and I sort of realized some things?”

It was a make or break moment. It was now or never. 

“A-and I guess…I guess I sort of thought that you--”

“I love you.”

Sans’ soul felt like it was twisting, his anxiety and his doubts churning through his soul as Red’s words came to a sudden stop. He was staring down at him with wide eyes, mouth hanging slightly open. Sans waited for a reaction for a few moments, but there was none forthcoming, and he felt the tears starting to come. 

“I-I’ve loved you for...for a long time. A-and I didn’t quite know h-how to even  _ begin _ to deal with it, b-but…” Sans took a deep breath, willing himself to keep going in spite of the way his soul felt like it was curdling. “I just...You mean so damn much to me, and I’ve never come anywhere close to feeling like this about  _ anyone _ , a-and I know it’s just sex but it’s meant more than that to me for a while and I-I-I…” He trailed off, staring down at the ground. “I didn’t want to lose you,” he almost whispered. 

There were a few seconds where nothing happened, save for the pain lancing through his soul. He had fucked it all up. He had taken the wrong risk and lost everything. This was it. 

What was he going to--

Suddenly, he was being scooped into a hug, held almost too tightly to the other as Red buried his face into his shoulder. Shocked, he hugged Red in return, trying not to let hope blossom in his soul. After a long moment, Red set him down, only leaning far enough away to cup his cheeks and pull him into a kiss. Sans melted into it, relief beginning to lighten his soul as his own arms came up to wrap around the back of Red’s neck, tugging himself as close as he could get.

They broke apart, but Sans only had a moment to catch his breath before he was being kissed again and again, the contact being punctuated with the soft murmur of Red’s voice.

“You...fucking...idiot…”

Sans laughed in surprise, the overwhelming emotions running through his soul starting the tears back up. This time, though, he had no desire to wipe them away. Breaking away from the kisses, he pulled Red back into a tight hug, pressing his face into the nape of the other’s neck and letting the tears flow freely. 

Red leaned his head to rest the side of his face against Sans’, fingers trailing up and down his back as he said, in a voice so quiet it was almost inaudible, “I love you too.”

The words sounded like they felt foreign on his tongue, and when Sans looked up at the expression on his face, he couldn’t help but smile at the goofy grin Red sported. Red looked down at him, the pure joy in his eyes matched only by what Sans was feeling in his soul. 

Kissing him again, Sans let his hands drop, curling into the front of Red’s shirt and using his leverage to tug him forward slightly. They stumbled towards the middle of Sans’ room, and Red laughed into his mouth, breaking away to wink cheekily.

“This is pretty gay, dude.”

Sans snorted, making as though to shove the other away. “I fucking take it back, you asshole.”

“Nope,” Red said smugly, wrapping him up in a tight hug and crossing the remaining few steps to the bed before leaning forward, settling Sans down onto the mattress and softly kissing the side of his head. “It’s too late, you’re not getting rid of me now.”

Sans snickered, but his smile grew softer at the kiss, shifting into the feeling and turning his head in an attempt to get more. Red just pulled away, smiling down at him like he was the only thing that mattered before saying, “I love you, Sans.”

He sounded like he was testing out the roll of the words on his tongue, and his smile only grew. He leaned down, pressing a kiss to the other’s forehead before pulling back. “I love you.”

Sans’ fingers curled tighter into the other’s shirt at the words, and he closed his eyes, reveling in the sound of the repeated sentiment. His soul felt full to bursting, and he could feel more joyful tears threatening to break their way to the surface. Red kissed him again, on the cheek this time, repeating the words over and over as though he were memorizing the feel of them. 

“I love you.”

“R-Red…” Sans whispered, the word almost a plea as he arched up into the other, wishing he could be closer, wanting to feel like they were the only people in the world. Red kissed him again, finally pressing their mouths together again as his fingers trailed down the other’s ribs. 

“I love you so…” his words were punctuated with another kiss, leaving a trail down Sans’ jawline as his voice grew heavier, filled with the emotions of the moment and with the desire to  _ show _ him exactly how much he meant what he was saying. “...Damn…” He left another kiss on his jaw, letting his mouth hover close so that his breath brushed against the side of his neck. This was something they’d done so many times before, but it felt like so much  _ more _ . “...Much.

It was almost overwhelming how much he wanted that  _ more _ with Sans.

~~~

Waking up was usually something of an ordeal for Sans. He often made jokes, stolen from the internet, about how the first thing he wanted to do upon waking up was to go back to sleep. It was amazing how much of a difference it made, having proper motivation. 

His eyes blinked open, taking a moment to adjust to the light before he shifted, pressing his face further into Red’s chest. He could feel a smile stretching across his face, and he made no attempt to hide it. He could feel the other shifting slightly, but he wasn't awake yet, his breaths coming slowly and the beat Sans could hear from his soul coming even slower. 

Sans let his fingers trail along the ribs he was already touching, tracing smooth circles along the scarred bone. The room was the perfect amount of warm, and the soft glow of the sunlight through the window lit up their surroundings in a way that almost felt dream-like. 

This wasn't a dream. This was  _ real _ . His fingers stilled in their path, and he could feel the sting of joyful tears behind his eyes. Despite being alone, he flushed with embarrassment, turning his head so that the side of his face lay on the other’s sternum. He let his eyes fall closed, breathing in deeply and wrapping his arms tightly around Red. 

This was real. His memory was real, what they had said, what had happened, it was all  _ real _ . 

Red loved him. 

He could feel the other shifting again, and he smiled as his breathing picked up slightly. He knew if he looked up, that he would see the fuzzily confused blink of his eyelights, followed by understanding. Sure enough, the arm around him tightened, and he felt the other hand lift to smooth over his skull, as though Red was struggling with the same disbelief that he was. 

As comfortable as Sans was, he found himself wanting more to see the other’s face, so he turned, propping himself up slightly to look at Red. Sure enough, his eyelights were softened, looking down at Sans like he couldn't believe he was there. 

Sans grinned, and Red’s face lit up, leaning down to plant a kiss on the top of his head. 

“Sans…” he said, and he felt himself nearly melting at the sound of it, the sound of his own name in Red’s voice, with that tone he really should have recognized such a long time ago. 

Sans tilted his head up, meeting him in a kiss, and feeling the smile that was curving across Red’s mouth even as his eyes were squeezed shut, taking in the feeling of this whole moment, committing it to memory. 

“Morning!” he said as he pulled away, smiling brightly and opening his eyes. Red looked amused, but there was still that happiness that was making Sans’ entire body feel warmer. 

“Good morning. Sleep well?”

Sans nodded, still grinning, and Red chuckled, bringing one hand up to cup his cheek. “Good.”

He leaned into the contact, his smile shifting into something decidedly deeper, and having to fight tears again. 

He really had been an idiot, hadn't he?

“So…”

Red sounded on the verge of laughter, and Sans' gave him a sidelong look, still smiling happily. “Can I help you?”

Clearing his throat self-importantly, Red propped himself up on one elbow, using his other arm to wave around in the air. “Well, I certainly hope so, shortstack. I need these reports done by Monday!”

Sans burst out laughing, shaking his head. “Where the fuck did that come from?”

“I don’t fuckin’ know, it was the first thing that popped into my head.”

Still laughing, Sans rolled off of the other, pushing himself up to sit against the headboard. Groaning, Red joined him, and Sans curled into his side, resting his head on his shoulder. Red smiled down at him before leaving a peck on his temple, and they both just enjoyed the silence and peace of the moment for a few seconds before Red spoke again. “Seriously, though…” Sans looked up, some small amount of happiness dimming in fear for a few seconds before he wrenched himself out of it. He was being irrational again, and he knew it. “...what does all of this mean for us?”

Sans hummed thoughtfully, drawing his knees up to his chest. “What do you want it to mean?”

There were a few minutes of pause, then Red sighed. Turning to face the other and wrapping one arm around him, he said, “Well this is going to sound cheesy as fuck, but as long as I’m with you, I don’t give a shit what happens. We could just...continue on, or…”

Sans could feel himself flushing as he looked up at Red. His unspoken words were all too obvious, and almost before he was aware of his mouth moving, he was talking. “Or we could be...together? Or, uh, whatever you'd call that?”

Red reached up, brushing one thumb along the side of Sans’ face before leaning their foreheads together, looking somewhat uncertain. “Is...is that what you’d want? Is that the...the normal thing to do?”

Sans nodded, hoping he didn’t look as though he was as terrified by the idea as he felt. Fuck, he wanted this, he wanted this more than anything. But he’d never come anywhere close to feeling like this about anyone before. He wasn't sure how to react to the force of the emotions raging through his soul.

“Then...yeah. Let’s...let’s do it!”

Laughing at the relieved expression on Red’s face as he spoke, Sans leaned up for another kiss, reveling in the feeling, in the warmth of Red’s soul,  _ finally _ allowing himself to reach out for the other with his own.

“Let’s do it.”


	15. Well you all knew it couldn't be happy for too long, here you go

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Why are my titles turning into summaries
> 
> Warnings for angst and sadness and a lot of potential bad stuff and all that.  
> Also, something that might look like self-harm but it isn't actually self-harm I just accidentally made it sound that way.
> 
> [Song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Otfn42u6dAE&index=34) of the chapter.

“Together” didn’t feel much different when they’d already been waking up next to each other every morning for the past week and a half, but there was still something light to Sans’ steps as he skipped down the stairs later that morning. Red was still upstairs, searching his room for his phone before they headed out for the day, and Sans smiled slightly as he heard a crash, followed by him cursing loudly, having probably tripped over something. 

Making his way into the kitchen, Sans resisted the strange urge to spin around with happiness. He felt like he was walking on air, every piece of unhappiness and angst he had put himself through over the past few months fading completely with the memory of the previous night. He grinned widely at the stereo, pulling his phone off and pocketing it. Humming an Ed Sheeran song, he turned towards the fridge, preparing to grab something for breakfast when he saw another phone on the kitchen counter. 

Smirking, he crossed the room just as he heard the  _ thumpthumpthump _ of Red descending the stairs, coming around the corner as Sans turned around to face him, leaning back against the counter and effectively hiding his phone from view. 

“Have you seen my phone?” he asked, huffing at himself as he looked around the room frustratedly.

“What…” Sans said, reaching behind him and picking up Red’s phone, holding it out in front of him and smirking. “This phone?”

Red gave him an exasperated look, but Sans just smiled innocently, holding it just barely out of reach. Red reached for it, and Sans jerked it back out of reach, holding it over and behind his head. 

“Sans, give it--”

“What are you gonna give me for it?” he asked snarkily, dodging another swipe. 

Red’s voice shifted up a few octaves, mocking the other’s voice. “Oh, I’m not gonna kick you in the blah blah--” Failing another grab for the phone, he cursed under his breath, giving Sans a glare they both knew he didn’t mean. 

Snickering, Sans walked a few steps back, turning on the phone and looking down at the screen. He hummed thoughtfully for a moment, then swiped, pulling up the keypad for the password. He hit a few keys, then said, “Dang it, I thought for sure your password would be ‘I’m a loser’ but it’s  _ not _ …”

Red rolled his eyes, trying to hide a smile, but his expression shifted to one of panic when he heard his ringtone. “Sans…”

Eyes wide with delight, Sans spun around to face him, hitting Accept and holding the phone up to his ear. “Hello, this is the edgiest skeleton in the world, how may I help you?” he said in his most chipper voice, holding up one hand in a call for silence from Red. 

Letting out a disbelieving laugh, Red reached out, grabbing onto Sans’ hips as he tried to dodge away and pulling him up against him. He didn’t try to grab the phone out of his hands, instead just trapping him there and raising a brow down at him in an expression that said he’d be regretting this later. 

“Uh...is this R-red?”

Sans frowned slightly, the hand that had been reaching up to pull Red down into a kiss instead settling on his chest, distracted by the tone of the speaker. He pulled the phone away from his face, re-checking the caller ID before putting it back to his face. “No, this is Sans...Stretch, are you okay?”

There was a muffled sound that sounded strangely like a sob, then he said, “N-not really, can I...I really need to talk to Red, is he there?” His voice sounded off, as though he were holding back tears, and Sans found his mind freezing up. What could possibly be wrong to make Stretch sound like…

“Yeah, he’s right here,” he heard himself say, handing the phone to Red. The taller frowned questioningly, but Sans just shrugged, his mind rushing through all of the possibilities as the hand now freed from holding the phone fell to join his other one. 

“Hullo?” Red said into the phone, his free hand coming up to curl gently around one of Sans’ hands, bringing it up to lay a kiss in his palm even as Stretch’s voice came over the speaker, broken sentences that Red seemed to be having trouble understanding until suddenly, he froze, gripping onto Sans’ hand almost too hard. 

“I-is he--” he fell silent as more talking came over the speaker, his eyelights growing sharper in a worried sort of way that Sans had never seen before. “Yeah, I’ll be there in…” he glanced at the clock, then at Sans, and his eyelights softened ever so slightly at the confused and fear-filled look on his face. “...five minutes. Do you need anything?”

There was another pause, and Sans wiggled his hand slightly, keeping in a wince at how hard Red was holding it. 

“Yeah, of course. I’ll have Sans call him. Hold in there, okay? It’s gonna be alright.” His voice broke on the last word, and he ducked his head slightly before saying goodbye and hanging up, taking a deep breath as Sans watched him carefully. “I...I need to go to Memorial, but I…” he took another breath, looking on the verge of breaking down, and Sans, unsure what to do or what was even happening, leaned into him, offering the only comfort he could. Red accepted the hug gratefully, letting his head drop forward onto Sans’. “Can you please come with me? I-I can’t…”

“What’s going on?” Sans asked softly, keeping up the hug until Red broke it, eyelights wavering as though he was on the edge of tears. 

“M-my b-brother is in--in a c-coma, and I-I…” 

Sans felt himself freeze for a split second, the pure unlikeliness of the idea of  _ Fell _ , of all people, being in a coma rendering him temporarily unable to think. After a moment, he nodded, reaching up to grip onto Red’s humeri. “Who did you tell Stretch I was gonna call?”

Red was shaking slightly with the effort of keeping his emotions at bay, but he latched onto the question, eyes flicking up to meet Sans’ as he said, “Blue. He just wanted somebody to tell him, but Stretch isn’t supposed to be alone, and he--”

Sans was already pulling out his phone, entering Blue’s number and holding it up to his ear. His grip tightened on Red’s arm and he looked up, nodding slightly. “I’ll take care of it. Can you handle a shortcut?”

Red nodded, reaching out and pulling Sans firmly into his chest before he gathered his magic around him, hearing the other greet Blue just as it went into effect, taking them to the waiting room of the hospital.

~~~

Barely aware of the fact that he was dragging Sans along the halls almost faster than he could keep up, Red searched quickly for room 243, the room the receptionist had told them Fell was in. Sans, keeping up as best he could, stayed quiet, squeezing onto the hand he was being led by and trying to lend as much reassurance as he could in this situation. 

Upon locating the room, Red breathed a sigh of relief, making for the door only to be stopped gently by a human nurse. “I’m sorry,” she said, pity in her eyes, “but it’s family only in that room.”

“He’s my brother,” Red said, as evenly as he could. His voice still broke on the last word, however, and the nurse nodded softly, stepping aside. As Red started forward, she laid a gentle hand on Sans’ shoulder. Startled, he looked up, and upon seeing the look on her face, he nodded, going to detach his hand from Red’s before the other whipped around, glaring up at the nurse and tugging Sans to his side, eye flaring with magic. “ _ He’s family, too.” _

Looking somewhat shocked, the nurse stepped back, removing her hand from Sans’ shoulder. He shot her an apologetic glance as Red started again for the door, keeping a tight grip on Sans’ hand as he entered. 

Laying on the bed, covered in bandages, was Fell. The crack in his eye socket looked to have gotten deeper, and there were too many cloths to see the rest of the damage to his head. There were numerous uncovered cracks on his cervical vertebrae and clavicle, and the rest of him was hidden by a soft blue blanket. His eyes were closed, and his chest was rising and falling in soft breaths, looking for all the world as though he was just asleep. 

Sitting in a chair and slumped forward onto the bed, one hand gripping onto Fell’s and the other settled on his rounded stomach, lay Stretch. He actually was sound asleep, his emotional exhaustion seeming to have caught up to him. His joints were lit up with his orange magic, but it was grayer than normal, the color seeming on the edge of fading altogether. Sans felt a moment of worry for his old friend, then Red made a broken sort of noise that Sans had never even imagined coming out of his mouth, and he turned to see that he looked ready to collapse. 

Still holding onto Sans’s hand, he stumbled forward, his free hand coming up to touch the edges of his brother’s worsened scar. “Fuck, Boss…” he murmured, and Sans felt his grip tighten for a split second before he went down on his knees. It wasn’t a heartbroken collapse like Sans might have expected, but more of a wish to be closer to his little brother, the hand on his face dropping to settle on his ulna and radius, just a few inches above where Stretch was still holding tightly. 

Sans settled down onto his own knees, not sure what he was meant to do here, but Red immediately pulled on his hand, tugging him closer before letting go, wrapping his arm around him and pulling him into a hug. He buried his face into the crook of Sans’ shoulder, body shaking as he tried to hold back sobs. Sans wrapped both arms around him, shushing him quietly and offering what comfort he could. 

“He-he’s never been this bad before--” Red was whispering, grip tightening on both Sans and his brother. “He’s had close calls, he’s had so many fucking close calls, but he--he--” 

On its own, without being exercised, magic tended to fade, letting a monster’s reserves drop down to dangerous levels. It was entirely possible for one monster to donate to another, but magic could only be exchanged when the receiving party was willing, accepting the magic into their own reserves.  Fell’s magic, unsustained as it would be from any sort of movement or intake of magical energy, would eventually fade, leaving his body to fall apart and his functional systems to stop. 

A coma, for a monster so reliant on magic as a skeleton, meant eventual, inevitable death. 

Fell was, more than likely, going to die, and there was nothing any of them could do but hope that he would wake up.

Sans had nothing to say, no promises to offer, nothing to dull the pain. So he just held him, squeezing tightly and wordlessly wishing for a miracle. He wasn’t a doctor, at least not in the medical field, but even he knew what a coma meant for their kind. So did Red. 

So did Stretch.

He glanced up, seeing the orange streaks of tears smudged under his eyes, and he felt his soul constrict. The feeling of a soul bond turning to dust was supposed to be an intensely painful one, a hit to your magic and your emotions that was nearly impossible to recover from. And what something like that could do to a still-growing child…

Sans felt tears gathering in his eyes, and he looked back to Red, his hold tightening as his soul tried to express how much he wanted to help. He sent as much comfort and peace and love as he could gather to the other, doing the only thing he could in that moment. 

“I’m so sorry, Red.”

Red’s breathing broke into a sob, pressing the side of his face against Sans’ as tears started to spill over. He was shaking, barely holding himself together as the reality of the situation crashed over him. Sans rubbed his back, squeezing his eyes shut. Right now, he needed to be the strong one. He needed to be the one that was there for Red. Red needed him, and he sure as hell wasn’t about to let him down.

After a few minutes, Red seemed to calm down a bit, pulling back a few inches and wiping at his eyes messily. Sans gently smoothed a hand over his skull, placing a gentle kiss on his brow before standing, pulling Red up to his feet to join him. Sans took a few moments to straighten Red’s clothes, smoothing the cloth over his shoulders and tugging on the hem of his shirt to make sure it was in place. The small touches seemed to soothe the larger, and he let out a shaky breath, glancing down at Fell again before he forced himself to let go of his arm, reaching for Sans to replace it. 

“Thank you,” he murmured, and Sans smiled weakly, cupping his cheeks and kissing him again. Behind him, he heard the door creak open, but he ignored it as they broke apart, glancing up into Red’s eyes to see if he was any more aware. 

“No matter how this goes, I’ll always be here for you,” he said quietly, and Red nodded, looking ready to break down before a quiet cough behind them caught their attention. They both looked to the doorway, tears still in their eyes.

Blue was standing, hollow-eyed, at the end of the room. There was a spark of something like curiosity in his eyelights as he watched them, and Sans started to step back from Red before he remembered there was no reason to anymore. The reason for their secret was gone, but the memory of the morning’s joy felt like a cruel joke now. 

“How is he?” Blue asked quietly, crossing the room to his brother and laying a gentle hand on his shoulder before glancing back to look at them. Sans turned, hands dropping from Red’s face but staying nearby. 

“He was asleep when we got here,” he replied, taking hold of Red’s hand and squeezing it softly. “But his magic…”

Blue cut him off with a nod, crouching down beside Stretch and using the hand on his back to rub smooth circles into the bone. “It’s graying...he’ll probably...he might recover a little with some rest.” Blue sighed, reaching up to rub at his eye sockets. He looked exhausted, and Sans noticed the sweat dripping down his forehead. Knowing Blue, he’d probably sprinted the whole way here, vetoing the use of cars when finding a taxi willing to carry a monster would take longer than just going as fast as he could on his own. 

“Do you know what happened?” Blue asked, looking up at Red carefully. It was easy, at times, to forget that Blue wasn’t an overgrown child. It was in the moments like these, however, that Sans remembered everything the little skeleton had been through, the reasons for the chips and dents that he kept carefully hidden beneath a scarf and gloves. 

Red shook his head, looking sideways at his brother’s still form before returning his gaze to the other. “Stretch wasn’t in any state to tell me when he called, so I didn’t ask.” He let out a shuddering breath, letting go of Sans’ hand to cross the room and grab what looked like Stretch’s coat. Going back to Blue, he handed the cloth, an offensively orange maternity jacket the tallest skeleton had managed to sneak into the shopping cart the first time the two went baby-supply shopping together. “Take him home. I can handle things here. He needs to sleep somewhere that won’t agitate his magic any more.”

Blue nodded, taking the jacket and shaking Stretch slightly, just enough to get him to blink his eyes open. “Hey, Papy.”

His grip on Fell’s hand tightened as he worked through his sleepy confusion, and after a moment, he turned away, new tears in his eyes. “I’m not leaving, Sans.”

Blue sighed, then wrapped an arm around his shoulders, supporting him by the elbow and pushing himself up to his feet, forcing Stretch into the motions of standing. He did so, then immediately looked like he was going to collapse. Blue held him steady, however, far too used to doing so after numerous nights walking him home from Muffet’s when he was drunk. 

“This isn’t good for the baby, and you know it, Papy. C’mon, Razz is fixing up the couch for himself.”

Stretch laughed quietly, the sound coming out broken and sad. “That’s pretty cruel, bro. Makin’ your soulmate sleep on the couch while your hot brother takes the bed.”

Blue winked, then his half-joking smile settled into something more serious. “It was his idea, Papy. You’re coming, and there’s no arguing about it, okay?”

There were a few seconds where he looked like he was going to argue anyway, then the protective barrier around his soulling flared brightly, making everyone in the room look at it. The atmosphere shifted the slightest degree, and Stretch sighed, looking resigned. “Fine,” he murmured, then carefully leaned forward to kiss Fell’s stiff cheek before Blue was handing him his coat.

“Do you want me to shortcut you?” Sans asked quietly, but Blue shook his head. 

“I called Alphys, she told me she’d come pick us up,” he said, then turned a thankful smile on the pair of them. “Thank you for calling me. And call us as soon as anything happens, okay?”

“Of course.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Check out this [What-If](http://archiveofourown.org/works/8585845/chapters/23446992) thing, an alternate timeline of sorts, written by EchoFlowey!


	16. Well fuck me right in the feels why dontcha

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> @the title:  
> Don't mind if I do
> 
> Guys, this started as a fic that was meant to be 90% porn then they fall in love at the end. The main spot of angst was supposed to be the safe word thing in chapter 8.  
> Then I got _ideas_.
> 
> So...uh...warnings for more angst, guys. Sorry?
> 
> [Song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=80AlC3LaPqQ) of the chapter, and I really recommend listening to this one alongside reading, I think the feel of it fits really well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [lmaooooooooo](http://archiveofourown.org/works/10085411/comments/102539601)

The first time Red held his little brother, he remembered thinking how fragile he seemed. He’d been sound asleep, little fists clenched and soul glowing brightly even past the layers of clothing he’d been wrapped in. Red, very carefully, had detached one arm from around him, supporting him instead in his lap as he carefully brushed a finger over his tiny noseridge, in awe of how anything could possibly be this small. (He hadn’t expected it when he’d shot up in height, only staying shorter than his elder sibling for a handful of years. It annoyed Red, at first, that people started assuming that he was the younger of the two, but the pride Fell showed at his growth made it feel better, somehow.) 

Their parents died when Fell was still too young to remember them, and Red found himself left in the unconventional role of unexpected parenthood, something entirely overwhelming to someone not even finished with middle school. 

Living on the streets was terrifying in a world like theirs. Of course, at the time, it was the only world Red had ever known. So he took reports of the people he’d grown to trust being dusted for no reason at all for granted, never forming real friendships with anyone, since the expectation of anyone surviving very long was not terribly present. They were honestly lucky to survive as long as they did, especially with Fell being as much of a loud-mouthed little shit as he was. 

That didn’t mean it didn’t feel like his soul was splitting in half, that day he found his baby brother close to bleeding out in the middle of the street. He’d never asked him what happened, too panicked in the moment to even think about it, and too relieved later to really press for answers. It wasn’t hard to figure out, however, that Fell had been walking home from school, alone only because Red had no other choice, and he had sassed the wrong monster or gang. People on the streets paid for their words with dust more often than not, and when Red rounded the corner that brought him into sight, he had almost forgotten, just for a split second, that Fell  _ had  _ to be alive, even though he wasn’t breathing, because there wasn’t any dust. That’s what he got for spending so much time in the library, poring over old human history books. 

Rushing to his side, he’d done his best to blink back the blinding tears, barely remembering to check his surroundings before cupping his brother’s face, looking over his injuries and trying to decide if it was worth the risk to take him to a doctor. Scientists as they were, they tended to take street rats and put them to “better” use than just being healed. It had nearly happened to him, more than once, but he never wanted that for his little brother. He never wanted anything  _ close _ for him. 

But Fell was just barely alive, his HP dangling by a thread and threatening to drop at any second. He really didn’t have a choice. 

The thing that Red remembered most from before the doctor came was how small his brother looked again, covered in a ratty gray sheet and a brand-new crack in his eye socket. 

Remembering it now, Red was finding it hard to believe he’d ever been even as small as he was then, the hulking figure that now grumped his way through the sidelines of his life seeming almost too much bigger than him. After joining the Royal Guard, he’d bulked, his bones turning powerful and even his mind becoming somehow even quicker than it previously had been. His brother was just  _ so fucking cool _ , one of the most powerful monsters in the entire underground. 

But here they were again. The hospital was cleaner, the windows brighter, and the blanket that covered him thick and soft and blue. No matter the differences, however, Red was again struck by how incredibly small his brother looked. Despite the bulk, the height, the very air that usually surrounded him…

He just looked so broken. 

Pillowing his head in his arms, Red took a deep breath. The hospital smelled like chemicals and lavender, so much  _ cleaner _ than he even would have thought something could smell. Fell probably would have loved it. When he’d been broken as a child, the first thing he’d said upon waking up was how bad it stank. 

He could feel the prick of tears behind his eyes, but he forced them away, blinking rapidly. What he wouldn’t give to hear that angry little voice telling him exactly where he could shove it, despite their age difference. It used to piss him off so fucking much…

Why had it mattered?

Red reached up to rub at his eye sockets, trying to rid himself of the red-dyed pools beginning to gather there. Suddenly, there was a hand on his shoulder, and he jumped, startled, before looking up. 

Sans was kneeling beside him, having set the water he’d gone down the hall to get for them on a bedside table. Red couldn’t read the emotion in his eyes, and he was honestly far too tired to even try. Instead, he reached out, cupping the other’s cheek just for a moment and letting the memory of happiness that seemed a lot further away than just yesterday flow through him. 

Then he sighed, and the pooling tears overflowed. He turned his head away, pulling his hand back to bury himself back into his arms in an attempt to hide himself even as he knew his shoulders were shaking, giving him away. He felt a gentle hand on his back, rubbing reassuring circles into his scapula as he cried. 

After so many scares, so many times that Fell stumbled home covered in injuries only to go right back to work the next day, so often that his HP had dropped into the single digits, how could this be how he was losing his brother? 

His baby brother, Papyrus, dying slowly, asleep and unable to even say goodbye before he left them all behind. 

Before he left  _ Red _ behind. 

“You should sleep,” came Sans’ voice, and Red choked on his tears, trying to find his way past them so that he could speak. 

“W-what if h-he w-wakes up?”

Sans was silent for a beat too long, but Red knew what he was thinking. He knew that it wasn’t...it wasn’t likely. That if he went to sleep, he would come back only to see the exact same scene. He just...couldn’t bring himself to leave him alone. 

“Sleep on the couch over there, then. You’ll still be right here, and I’ll wake you up if anything happens.”

Red looked up, seeing Sans looking down at him with that same unidentifiable emotion in his eyes. “What if it was  _ your _ brother, Sans? Would you g-go sleep on the f-fucking c-couch?”

There were a few seconds of silence, where the other just looked at him, eyelights searching his own. Whatever he was looking for, he didn’t seem to find, and he sighed quietly, the hand on his back stilling. “At least drink some water, then, okay?”

That look was still in his eyes, and after a few moments, Red realized that it was of the same emotion that was pulsing through his own soul. He felt his face crumple in shame. “Okay,” he said quietly, laying his head back down as Sans’ worry was replaced in part by relief. 

“Thank you,” he murmured, leaning down to press a soft kiss to the side of Red’s skull. He leaned into the contact, squeezing his eyes shut until the urge to start crying again had passed and Sans was moving away, grabbing one of the water bottles and holding it out for Red to take. 

He took it, sitting up to crack it open and take a sip, then chugging it as he realized how thirsty he was. Smiling softly, Sans reached back, grabbing the other water bottle and holding it out to him. Red finished the first one, automatically reaching for the other before he realized it was Sans’. “I don’t want to take your--”

“Don’t worry about it,” Sans said softly, shaking his head. “I can go get some more.”

Red just looked at him for a moment, then he reached forward as he shook his head, taking the bottle out of his hand and setting it aside before taking his wrist, using it to tug him closer. Sans seemed confused at first, coming to kneel beside him before an impatient eyeroll and another tug seemed to clue him in. He smiled again, his worry fading a little bit more as he let himself be pulled into the chair, curling up in Red’s lap. He settled his head on the other’s shoulder, and Red leaned his own head sideways, letting it rest on Sans’. He could feel Sans’ arms encircling him, hugging him close as though trying to reassure himself that he was still there. 

Red closed his eyes, breathing deeply. “I’m not that thirsty. Don’t leave again? Please?” 

His voice broke on the last word, and he cursed silently, tired of feeling so completely weak. He felt Sans nod against his collarbone, his hold tightening slightly. “Of course.”

~~~

Things didn’t change a whole lot as the hours passed, Red’s exhaustion growing as time went on, and Sans only leaving his side long enough to call Blue and ask how Stretch was doing. He was still asleep, apparently, his already over-exhausted magic driven to its limit by everything that had happened. 

After some time, a doctor came in, asking to speak to Red alone. He refused absolutely, something that Sans felt himself more saddened by than anything. The moment he’d realized that his brother was on the edge of dust, he hadn’t been able to be alone without getting an edge of panic in his eyes, as though he were stuck somewhere in his memory of a kill or be killed world, where losing his brother meant losing his protection, where grief that made you unable to think was a death sentence and the world was almost entirely made from dust. Sans had caught him, more than once, digging his fingers into the clean white sheets of his brother’s hospital bed as though he were trying to leave holes. He didn’t want to think about what he was holding himself back from hurting instead. 

The doctor, looking almost too understanding of Red’s refusal to have Sans leave the room, had carefully sat down in the only other chair in the room. They had explained that, while the final decision would be up to the patient’s next of kin, which, in this case, was his husband, it was still necessary that Red be told of the next steps. 

At this point, there wasn’t a whole lot the hospital could do, of course. With skeleton monsters being as rare as they were, there wasn’t a huge amount of research into how to help them through these kinds of situations. Without the usual type of “brain”, any surgery they could do would be on his soul. However, that could apparently have “adverse effects” on the still-growing child, since anything done to a soul would reflect onto a soulmate, especially one as “closely joined as your brother and his husband”. 

With Red looking as though he had checked out of the conversation three insincere apologies ago, Sans spoke up quietly. “Do we know what happened to him? Maybe if we understood the injury itself, we could--”

“It was blunt-force trauma to the back of the skull,” the doctor answered gently. “Apparently, your friend was attacked by some very angry people.”

Sans heard Red growl by his side, spine stiffening, and he laid a gentle hand on his shoulder as he attempted to contain his own rage. “So what is there to do?”

“Not much, I’m afraid. We have him on an IV of artificial magic; sometimes a comatose soul will accept just enough of it to wake up and be able to accept the real thing. There are several experimental medicines and surgeries we could try, but again, all of those could do serious harm to his unborn child. With his husband as close to giving birth as he is, it is possible that he could last until after the birth, and we could perform those procedures afterwards. However, that is doubtful.”

“Doubtful, how?”

The doctor sighed, glancing over at Fell and, for the first time, their professional air slipped slightly. There was sadness in his eyes, human faces being entirely too easy to read, especially when they were emotional. Sans watched him carefully, wondering why he would care about some strange monster he had never actually met. 

It just went to show that not every human was as awful as they sometimes seemed, he supposed. 

“I am sorry,” the doctor said quietly, looking back at them, but not quite directly into their faces. “But he isn’t likely to last long enough for his child to be born. His injuries are more extensive than what caused the coma, and without his magic replenishing, it isn’t likely that they will heal. The injuries to his arms, especially, would become a permanent handicap even if he were to wake up. Those bones, and others on his body, have been broken past the point of any healing we understand at this time.”

Red seemed to deflate, shoulders slumping as he buried his face in his hands. He was very clearly holding back tears, and Sans resisted the urge to wrap him up right then and there. “Thank you, doctor,” he murmured, and they nodded, standing in preparation to leave. 

“I will let you know if any changes occur,” he replied, sparing one last glance at the figure on the bed before he took his leave, exiting the room quietly as Red finally broke down. 

He’d known already, of course. Red wasn’t in any way stupid, or full of false hope. He never had been. But there was just something about hearing exactly how little hope they did have that had his soul feeling like it was splitting apart. 

His little brother was dying, and there was absolutely fucking nothing he could do about it. 

Sans came around to the front of his chair, hands settled on his shoulders and murmuring something softly to him. Red didn’t know what it was, what words were coming out of Sans’ mouth right now. All he knew what that there was nothing either of them could do about this, and no amount of pretty-sounding, baseless renditions of the same idea was going to change this. 

“It’s all going to be okay.”

What a fucking joke. Nothing was ever going to be okay again. His brother was  _ dying _ . His brother was dying, and he was going to be alone again, fending for himself in a world that, while it was kinder than the one he grew up in, was still cruel enough to do  _ this _ to him. 

_ Not alone _ , his mind reminded him, and he snarled at himself, anger burning bright through his mind because fuck, anger was so much easier than the  _ broken _ he was right now, especially with the LV he had gained defending the monster dying on the bed beside him making the anger burn brighter and hotter than it ever could have without it. 

“Fuck  _ off _ !” he said, louder than he’d meant to. Without warning, his hands were coming up, shoving Sans away from him and onto the floor. He looked down at his shaking fingers for a moment before turning away from the shocked skeleton in front of him and wrapping his hands around his brother’s. 

“You have no fucking idea. It’s not fucking okay, it’s n-never going to  _ be _ okay!”

“I-I didn’t say--”

“Shut the fuck up and leave me alone!” he practically screamed, eyes not even leaving his brother’s face long enough to see the look on Sans’ face. He didn’t--

He didn’t…

Of course he cared.

Before he could say anything, before he could even turn his head to look at him, there was a  _ pop _ of teleport, and Sans was gone. 

Red let his head drop forward, burying his face in the mattress and fighting back tears all over again.

What was he going to do?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I interupt this angst to bring you some dumbass [world-building](http://archiveofourown.org/works/8585845/chapters/23525931) (or whatever this qualifies as). Have fun checking that out lol


	17. More of the same bullshit honestly

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which there is even more sadness. Are you even surprised?
> 
> [Song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=trt2eCGTQfo) of the chapter.
> 
>  
> 
> Side note, s/o to MadamMacaron's bookmark, which contains the most accurate summary ever. "space nerds,,, weird romantic slow dancing,, and gay ass roommates" (oh my)

Red’s dreams were usually consistent and repetitive. The same monsters, coming along and killing the people he loved. Memories of horrors he had seen in the world he could no longer reach even if he’d wanted to, images that his mind had conjured up that seemed almost worse than the things that had actually happened. He didn’t have “good” dreams very often, it was usually just a nightmare or the sort of deep, dreamless sleep he’d grown to crave. His nightmares were often terrifying in their clarity, realistic enough that it was sometimes hard to tell that he wasn’t awake. 

“Red.”

Today, though, everything felt jumbled together. Images jumped and collided, the dream world warping and shifting until he wasn’t sure where he even stood in it. The only thing that stayed the same was the overwhelming fear and hopelessness he could feel being pushed into him. By what, he had no idea.

“Red!”

Something was shaking his shoulder, he realized. Strange...there hadn’t been anything tangible enough to actually touch him yet.

Then there was a stinging pain across his face, and he jerked awake, gasping aloud and scrabbling at the soft surface he was resting his face and arms on. He fought back his panic, aware somewhere in the back of his mind that someone had been trying to wake him up, and they’d resorted to measures not usually invoked by the person whose voice he’d thought that was, but his breathing was already picking up and he was having to fight against an oncoming panic attack. It’d been forever since he’d had one of these, fuck, what had they said to--

“Breathe, just breathe,” said another voice, so similar to the first one, but with an edge of something different, maybe just the way he carried the words, or the tone of them? Red wasn’t quite sure, but he followed their instructions, his vision clearing as his breathing slowed. 

Razz was knelt beside him, looking at him in that almost-glaring way he tended to do when he was worried and didn’t want to show it. Asgore knows Red had seen almost the exact same expression on his brother’s face every damn time he--

He felt a cloud come over his mind, and his expression dropped into something he wasn’t quite sure how to categorize. He closed his eyes for a moment, reaching up shakily to rub at his sockets, and when he opened them, Blue had entered his vision, still standing, but holding out a water bottle in Red’s direction. “You need to drink something. It’s okay, we’re all here to watch Fell. Go take a break.”

“I-I can’t--”

“Move, asshole, you’re in my chair,” came another voice, dry humor underlied by a penetrating sort of sadness that was making Red’s soul want to ache. He looked up to see Stretch, standing over him with one hand on his stomach, looking as though he had barely slept at all. Immediately, Red stood, pulling the chair out a bit more for the other and moving off to the side, next to the others. 

As Stretch sat, gathering his husband’s hands in his and watching his face carefully, Blue offered Red the water bottle. After a moment of hesitation, he took it, watching as Razz laid a quiet hand on Stretch’s elbow, still kneeling next to the chair. Red uncapped the water bottle, lifting it up and taking a drink before he realized that it must be the water that Sans had left on the bedside table. He’d never gotten around to drinking it, after the doctor had--

He lowered the bottle, staring down at it for a moment before turning his attention back to Blue. “Have you seen Sans?”

Blue was focused on the scene in front of them, his eyes soft as he watched Stretch accept Razz’s comfort, but he turned back at Red’s question. He frowned slightly, the same curiosity from before coming into his eyes, then he nodded. “Yeah, he was just...sitting out in the hallway. When we came by, he told us he was going to go talk to Fell’s doctor.” He paused for a moment, taking in Red’s expression, then asked, “Did something happen?”

Red wanted to cry again, but for a completely different reason than the others. Sans had just been...sitting outside? And he hadn’t even left until the others came around…

“We had a...a fight. I...uh, I snapped at him, and he...I thought he left…” Red trailed off, looking down at the ground. 

He could feel Blue’s eyes on him, but he refused to look up, not sure what he would find in the other’s expression.

“I’d been wondering what was going on with you two,” the other said quietly, and Red glanced up in surprise. Blue was looking at Razz again, but there was something distant in his expression that made him think that Blue wasn’t actually seeing anyone in the room. “Are you...together?”

Red could feel his soul constrict slightly. Were they? Sans had stayed, but...that didn’t mean he hadn’t fucked up again, hadn’t hurt Sans, and maybe this time, he’d pushed him past what he was willing to put up with. Maybe it was over. “I love him,” he said simply, not choking on the words like he thought he might have. He saw Razz glance back at them with interest, apparently surprised by the assertion, but then Stretch said something to him quietly, and his attention was diverted. 

Blue was quiet for a few moments, and when Red looked at him, there was something contemplative in his face. “I’m glad he’s happy,” he said distantly, but Red could hear the sincerity in the words. Then Blue turned to face him. “And I’m glad you’re happy, too. Toriel knows you’ve been waiting long enough for something good to happen to you. You’d better go find Sans.” He nodded towards the bed, and the other two figures there. “We’ll hold down the fort, call you if anything happens, all of that.”

Red nodded in thanks, glancing one last time at his brother before he set the water bottle aside, making his way into the hall. He looked around for a moment, wondering where the doctor’s office could be, when he heard yet another familiar voice, just around the corner. 

“...even a possibility?”

That was Sans, but there was something...off. There was something in his voice that Red didn’t quite know how to put a name to, but it had him creeping closer, peeking around the corner. Sans was standing in front of the doctor from earlier, his back to Red. The doctor was holding a clipboard, and he looked concerned, looking down at Sans as though he had just suggested that they play Russian Roulette. 

“I suppose it’s a possibility...It wouldn’t affect the child in the least, but your friend would certainly take on some of your more prominent traits, which would leave him a different person than he was before. But I can’t recommend it, it’s far too--”

“I know,” Sans cut him off, his voice sounding like an odd mix of determination and hopelessness that almost had Red shuddering with the familiarity of it. “It’s not so much of a cure as it is a...last resort, right?”

“It’s not even a last resort,” the doctor said softly, looking as though he wasn’t entirely sure how to deal with what he was hearing. “A soul swap is a death sentence for the donor, and it often results in psychological issues for the patient, not the least of which are survivor’s guilt--”

Red’s soul stuttered, then hardened, and he stepped around the corner and into the doctor’s line of sight. “Sans.”

Red’s voice echoed down the hall, the barely repressed rage making Sans jump. He looked over his shoulder, trying to hide the guilty look on his face as he made eye contact with the other. Quickly, he turned to the doctor, bidding him goodbye and ignoring the relief in their eyes before he turned back to Red, crossing to him in a few steps.

His arms were aching with the desire to reach out for the other, but he held them firmly at his sides, all too aware of the anger still coloring the other’s expression. “Did you get some sleep?” he asked after a few silent moments, struggling to keep his eyes averted. 

Suddenly, the other had grabbed ahold of his humerus, dragging him quickly into a deserted corner before spinning back to face him, his magic obviously roiling as his eyelights sharpened dangerously. “What the fuck are you  _ thinking _ ?”

Sans took a deep breath. He’d thought, for a moment, that this was about before, the way he’d just teleported away instead of staying and helping, instead of being there for the person his soul seemed to ache for more and more with every damn second that passed away from him. “I don’t know what you’re--”

“Don’t give me that bullshit, Sans!” Now Red sounded more desperate than angry, both hands reaching out to grip at his shoulders and shaking him slightly. “A fucking  _ soul swap _ ?!”

Sans felt himself wilt slightly. “I just thought--”

“No, you didn’t think! You didn’t think for one second because if you had, you would know…” Red cut himself off, reaching up to rub at his face frustratedly. Sans barely stopped himself from reaching out again, digging his fingers into the cloth of his pants. Red  sighed, then reached out, hesitating for a moment this time as though afraid the other was going to pull away. When Sans didn’t, he wrapped his arms around him, gathering him into a tight hug. Feeling tears of relief at the back of his sockets, Sans returned the hug, holding him closely and burying his face into the other’s shoulder. 

“I...Sans, I  _ love _ you. I’m sorry I yelled at you, and I just…” Red took a deep breath before tightening his hold. His voice got quieter as he continued, and Sans could tell he was right on the verge of tears. “It’s tearing my soul apart, thinking about losing my brother, but I don’t want you t-to think…” he trailed off, but Sans couldn’t bring himself to say anything, closing his eyes almost too tightly. After a few seconds, Red’s breath shuddered, and he forced himself to continue, murmuring, “I don’t want you to think that you’re less important. I don’t want you thinking you have to do anything like  _ that _ to...to make me happy, okay? I..I...I don’t want to lose you, even if it means losing my brother, instead.”

Sans felt something shudder through him, some sort of emotion that he wasn’t sure how to name, a sad sort of relief, almost as though he was upset that he was happy. Sounded about right.

“Red, I’m not--”

“Don’t even finish that sentence,” Red growled, pulling away slightly to glare down at him. “You  _ are. _ ” Then his voice dropped, and he pulled Sans close again, planting a kiss on the side of his head. “You are.”

Sans closed his eyes, letting his head rest against Red’s shoulder. 

“I love you, Red.”

“I love you too, you fucking self-sacrificing asshole.”

Sans choked on a laugh, keeping his eyes closed even as he felt Red pulling away, only opening them when he felt the other’s thumb stroking along his cheekbone. 

“Can we go home?” Red asked quietly, meeting his eyes as Sans nodded without hesitation.

“Let’s go home. You look like you haven’t slept in a year.”

Red chuckled before gathering his magic around him, and they appeared in the middle of their living room. Sans went to tug away, probably to walk him up to bed or grab him some food or something, the caring look in his eyelights making Red’s breath hitch, and he held onto him tightly, pulling him impossibly closer and closing his eyes again. They stood like that for a few minutes, neither making any move to walk away, basking in the quiet, the lack of beeps and of monitors, and pretending, just for a moment, that none of it had happened.

It really felt, for a second, like none of it was real. Like they’d just stepped out for a moment, like Fell could call at any time, loudly berating Red for things he really didn’t care about. He could almost hear the ring of his phone, cutting through the air much like Fell’s own voice did, almost irritating, but still something he would do  _ anything  _ to hear again…

Then reality crashed over him, and his eyes shot open, quickly filling with tears. He felt Sans pull away just enough to cup his cheeks, softly pressing a kiss to his mouth, and he was left aching as he pulled away, wishing he could do something to curb the emptiness he could feel weighing down on his soul.

Even as Sans tried to pull away again, he reached out, pulling him in again and kissing him more forcefully this time, wringing a noise of surprise from the other even as Sans’ hands came up to grip at his wrists, as though unsure if they should be pushing him away. 

Red didn’t break the kiss, walking backwards and pulling Sans to follow, stopping as the backs of his knees hit the couch and gathering the other into his arms. He let himself fall back, holding onto Sans tightly enough that he fell with him, giving a muffled yelp of surprise. Almost immediately, he summoned his tongue, licking at Sans’ teeth and trying to deepen the kiss. When the other’s mouth remained firmly closed, he pulled back, looking up at him questioningly. 

The expression on Sans’ face made him almost immediately lean forward again, this time peppering his neck with kisses as his hands dropped, trying to work their way under Sans’ sweatshirt only to be held still by the hands still on his wrists.

“Red…” 

Sans said it so quietly, but it was so full of emotion, of...pity, almost. Red pretended not to hear, feeling his soul twist as the other rubbed his wrists with his thumbs, the contact barely easing the pain he was feeling in that moment. 

“Red, you’re crying.”

He realized that Sans was right, cooling streaks of wetness barely starting to dry on his face, only to be replaced by each new wave. His breath hitched, but he ignored it, pulling his wrists away from Sans’ hold to stroke along the other’s legs and up onto his hips, continuing to kiss at anywhere he could reach. 

Sans’ hands came up to settle on his shoulders, and there was a moment where Red thought that maybe he would go along with it, would let him do this, would let him fill the empty hole in his soul even though every moment was making it feel like it was getting wider, no matter what he did.

Then the hands came around to his chest, pressing gently as he said, so quietly Red almost couldn’t hear him, “Butterflies.”

Red’s hands immediately dropped to each side of him on the couch, but he couldn’t pull his head away from where it had just dropped down onto the other’s shoulder. Sans didn’t seem to mind, though, hands lifting to rub comforting circles into the sides of his skull as a gentle kiss was laid on the top of his head. 

As he started to sob, arms coming  back up to encirlcle the skeleton still sitting in his lap, Sans just held him all the tighter, not telling him it was going to be okay, not shushing him or trying to get him to stop crying. They just sat there, holding each other tightly as Red cried, letting all of his scattered emotions fight their way through him as he fought for every breath through the tears. 

Even as he was probably covering his shirt in snot and tears, Sans stayed. Even as he was squeezing him so tightly it probably hurt, Sans stayed. Even as he felt himself approaching exhaustion, eyes falling closed despite the fact that he wanted nothing less than to fall asleep again, Sans stayed. Even as he felt himself slip into the dark and dreamless expanse he always craved, Sans stayed. 

As he fell asleep, Sans was looking down at him, his own tears slipping down his face as he adjusted slightly, pressing himself as close as he could, to provide any sort of comfort that he could. 

Of course he’d stay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The pseudo-science for the soul swap thing is explained down in the comments.
> 
> Have I ever mentioned how much I love whotheheckyisbecky? Because [I really, really do](https://whotheheckyisbecky.tumblr.com/post/159706160984/x-so-i-havent-done-watercolour-sincemiddle).


	18. Everything sucks and I'm kinda sad

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I don't know why this chapter gave me so much shit but it really, really did. I'm so sorry if it sucks, but it gets my points across and thAT'S ALL I NEED DANG IT
> 
> Enjoy!
> 
> [Song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vp8VZe5kqEM) of the chapter.

When Red woke up, his head tucked into Sans’ chest and rising and falling with the others slow breaths, he had to take a moment to remember why he was there. Why were they on the couch, why was he holding onto Sans so tightly, arms aching from the grip they’d taken in his sleep?

Then it all came rushing back, and he took a deep, shuddering sort of breath, closing his eyes tightly and pressing himself closer to the other for a moment. Then, carefully, he shifted, moving himself to the side and pulling the blanket that covered them to the side, doing his best not to wake Sans.

The other must have laid them down before letting himself fall asleep, because Red remembered falling asleep sitting up, Sans in his lap. He sat up slowly, rubbing his eyes with shame as he remembered why they’d been in that position. What was wrong with him, that he went from...from all of that fucking _emotion_ to wanting…

Wanting that.

He paused, glancing back at his sleeping alternate, the peaceful expression he wore. What was wrong with him? Looking at Sans now, he could see something more to him than he’d ever even bothered to look for. A few months ago, he’d seen Sans as the little goody-two-shoes version of himself, and he never would have believed that he would feel anything like this about him. Or...about anyone, really. No one actually felt like this about anyone, that was just a fantasy; cooked up by some bullshitting human with a pen. But he _did_ feel it. He didn’t even really know how to describe what _it_ was, just that there sometimes felt like there was so much of _it_ that his thoughts would get all jumbled and he couldn’t get the sound of the other’s voice out of his head.

So why did they always end up... _there_?

Sighing, he reached out, brushing a thumb along Sans’ cheek. A soft smile grew on his face as the other shifted into the feeling unconsciously, but he drew his hand away after a moment, carefully extracting himself from the blanket and reaching over Sans to help push him up to stand on solid ground. His smaller alternate let out a soft sigh, turning over so that he faced the inside of the couch and throwing one arm over the now-empty space. Red tucked the blanket up and around him, feeling the emotions of the past few days roiling in his mind.

Why was it, now that he felt like he was falling apart, that his mind automatically wanted to go _there_ ? To hide his emotions in the physical until he couldn’t feel them anymore, as though he could bury all of his anger and hopelessness with just a fucking orgasm or two? It felt so...so cheap, in hindsight, to do that to Sans. God, a few months ago, he hadn’t even really known sex could be... _not_ cheap. All he’d ever known was something based purely on physical pleasure, something that satisfied a heat, sure, but did nothing to satisfy a craving for affection that he hadn’t even known he’d had until he got this. The last thing he wanted to do was cheapen this, to turn it into something that didn’t matter, that was just there to fulfill a need.

Quietly, he made his way into the kitchen, pausing in the doorway before he went to the coffee pot. The shuffling of his socks (when had his shoes been taken off?) on the tile floor served to ground him a bit, and he shook his head, trying to pull himself out of the turn his thoughts had taken.

He wondered, for a split second, how much closer Fell was to dust, then immediately focused on the process of making coffee, afraid of what would happen inside his head if he continued along that train of thought.

After a few moments, the kitchen filled with the hum of the coffee maker, and he braced his hands on the edge of the counter, leaning forward slightly as it started to feel like he wasn’t going to be able to support his own weight.

How did everything get so fucked up?

There was a quiet cough from the living room, followed by the shuffling of the blanket.

“...Red?”

Even now, the sound of his name in the other’s voice made his soul swell. “I’m in here.”

There was a pause, then more shuffling, followed by quiet steps before Sans poked his head into the kitchen, a hesitant smile on his face. “Hey.”

“Hey.”

Sans came the rest of the way into the kitchen, and Red felt his eyelights change shape for a split second before he shook his head, jerking himself out of it. Sans still had the blanket wrapped around him like a cape, the ends dragging on the ground and his shorts and shirt just barely visible past the gap between the two edges. His eyelights were dim, and Red could see the way Sans was doing his best not to let his tiredness show.

He held out his arms as the other came closer, and Sans grinned up at him before practically diving into a hug, wrapping the blanket around the both of them and nuzzling almost aggressively into the other’s ribcage.

Red nearly overbalanced, but managed to stay standing, laughing as he returned the embrace. “Good morning, there, Sansy. Sleep well?”

The only reply he received was a drawn-out groan, and he laughed, the first real laugh he could remember giving since that stars-damned phone call. Sans looked up in response to the sound, his look of surprise quickly morphing into the kind of doofy smile that Red wished he got to see more often. He leaned forward, intending to plant a kiss on the other’s brow, but almost immediately, he was interrupted by the _beep_ of the coffee machine, signalling that it had finished.

He gave an exaggerated groan of annoyance, and Sans laughed again, starting to back away to let Red get his coffee. Red’s hold tightened, however, keeping him right up against his chest as he leaned sideways, grabbing the mug and pulling it closer before turning his attention back to Sans’ questioning look.

He could already feel his face heating up, but he just shrugged, one arm still around the other as he took a sip of his drink. Sans tilted his head to one side, then his eyes lit up in understanding before he leaned forward again, holding onto Red tightly.

Red sighed, setting his cup aside and wrapping his arms back around Sans. They could go to the hospital, he could worry about his brother, cry some more, deal with whatever was going to happen.

But first, he was going to stay right here, and he was going to hold Sans. Maybe then he’d be able to stay sane through it all.

~~~

Time seemed to pass more slowly with every day that went by, and Fell’s condition continued to worsen. It was hard to tell, sometimes, which hurt more; sitting by his bedside and watching as his bones slowly greyed, or staying at home and filling every second with wondering if he was dust yet.

Red was terrified that even holding his brother’s hand would just make it come faster.

Sometimes, in the middle of the night when everything was dark and silent and his mind would begin to turn against him, he would wonder if that might be better, somehow.

He did his best to distract himself, forcing himself to go home and sleep in his own bed every night, then working the early shift, then coming back at lunchtime with bottles of honey in his bag. He would sneak them past Blue, despite knowing that the smaller was completely aware of them, and give them to Stretch. He would take them with a quiet thanks, staying a few minutes more until Blue inevitably came and forcibly dragged him to the hospital cafeteria. No one had been able to convince him to go home again, the haggard stubbornness in his refusal hard to fight against when he truly looked as though he was going to fall apart just as much as Fell.

Red would watch them go, then he would climb up onto the bed next to his brother, pulling the book he carried out of his bag and opening it, being careful not to jostle the other. He would sink down so that he was practically laying down, only his head against the headboard, and prop the book up against his chest. Fell had always hated it when he read like that, and Red didn’t want to admit that he sort of hoped that the other would wake up just to scold him for it.

Clearing his throat, Red began, quietly, so that if Stretch and Blue came back or Sans got off of work early, they wouldn’t be able to hear him. But Fell would, if he could hear.

“Fluffy Bunny was the bravest of rabbits…”

He liked to pretend that Fell could hear.

~~~

Stretch was sitting with his chin pillowed in his arms, leaning forward against the hospital bed so that he could keep an eye on his husband, hoping against hope that he would catch any movement. Red watched him out of the corner of his eye, pausing in his self-appointed task of straightening the flowers in the bouquet Undyne had dropped off this morning. She’d had a quick and quiet conversation with Stretch, seeming to be attempting to convince him to leave the hospital and go home to take care of himself for once. His continued presence spoke to the kind of answer she’d been given.

“Today’s our anniversary,” came the other’s quiet voice, and Red jumped about a foot and a half in the air. Stretch didn’t usually try to speak while they were here, preferring to sleep or watch Fell so that he could save his energy for when his brother came to visit.

When he digested the other’s words, however, Red felt himself droop. He counted the days in his head, not doubting what the other had said but confirming the words. After a moment, he sighed unhappily, grabbing a chair and pulling it up next to the other before laying a hand on his shoulder. “How long’s it been, now?”

Stretch’s face seemed to clear a bit as he picked up his head, turning to look at Red with a smile. “Two years.” His grin got bigger as something occurred to him. “And he forgot last year, so Toriel knows he’d better make it up to me this year.”

Red snorted. “Didn't you forget, too?”

“Let me rephrase that,” Stretch said, looking as though he was closer to laughter than he’d been in a very long time. “He’d better make it up to _Blue_.”

“Oh, man...I remember that, he was so pissed.”

Stretch turned away, still smiling, and gripped onto Fell’s hand, pulling it closer as though hoping their laughter would be the thing to rouse him. The thought sobered Red some, but he fought not to let it show.

“Fell was so confused,” Stretch continued, rubbing his thumb across Fell’s knuckles. “They got in that big fight, until Blue realized that Fell was fully aware that we’d been married for a year, but that he had no idea what an _anniversary_ was.”

Red folded his arms, leaning back in his chair with a shit-eating grin. Stretch, noticing this, turned a questioning look on him. “What?”

“He was completely bullshitting Blue. Of course he knew what an anniversary was, our universe isn't _that_ backwards.”

There was a moment of surprised silence, then Stretch grinned again, turning back to Fell and pressing a kiss to his knuckles before he murmured, “You asshole…”

“He really is, isn’t he?”

Stretch nodded, and they both just looked at Fell for a long moment, memories playing through their minds. When Stretch spoke next, his voice was much quieter. “Do you remember when we first met you guys?”

Red snorted. “How could I forget that? Fell tried to kill Blue, which was his own fault, honestly, because _fuck_ surprise hugs, and _Sans_ of all people tried to kill him back. It was just about the warmest welcome we’ve ever gotten.”

Stretch smiled, but it was somehow less bright than his previous had been. “Yeah...yeah, he was…certainly something, back then.” The smile faded from his face as he looked back at Fell. “Have you ever checked him?”

Surprised by the change of subject, Red blinked. “Well, yeah. You had to know the stats of someone you were going to fight beside, so that you knew how to def--”

“What was his LV, last you saw?”

Red narrowed his eyes, then thought back. “Eight?”

Stretch’s voice was soft, so soft that Red almost missed it.

“It’s seven now.”

“ _What?_ ”

Stretch turned back to him, his eyelights wavering with barely repressed emotion. “It’s the same thing with Razz. He was at LV12 when Blue first found him, and now he’s at 11. I just…” Red could see his grip on Fell’s hand tightening, and he thought about warning him how easy it would be to hurt him before he was distracted by what Stretch was saying. “It’s so hard to believe, sometimes, that they could find so much kindness in the world, in...in _us_ , that they...they give that up. They get that little crack in the shield, just enough to get through--” Stretch was crying now, orange tears silently rolling down his face, and Red resisted the urge to reach out and wipe them away. “How is it, that they can do that, that _Fell_ can change so much, so impossibly much, but he’s just...he’s just going to die, and we can’t do a damn thing about it?!”

At a loss for words, Red just watched as Stretch turned back to his husband. How the other’s emotions had changed so much in such a short amount of time, he had no idea, but he figured it was justified. Stretch was sobbing now, clutching onto Fell’s hand like a lifeline.

“R-red…”

He stayed silent, watching carefully as the other broke down.

“Red, we _can’t_ let him die!”

“Stretch, I know,” he murmured, reaching out and gripping onto his shoulder again, trying to send him comfort in any way he could, in any way that wouldn’t remind Stretch too much of the skeleton that was dying in front of them. “Believe me, I know.”

Stretch only cried harder, his breath starting to come in gasps as he fought his way past the tears. This was the first time Red had seen him break down like this, and he had no idea how to deal with it, entirely out of his depth with the younger skeleton not for the first time in--

Suddenly, Stretch let out a strained gasp, one hand letting go of Fell’s to hover uncertainly in the air. Red crinkled his brow, opening his mouth to ask what was happening before Stretch let out another sound, one of definite pain, and his hand dropped to his stomach.

Red immediately shot to his feet, his first thought being that Fell was dusting, his baby brother was dusting and Stretch was feeling it, oh fuck he was going to die and the kid was going to die and _Fell_ was dying and--

“Red!”

He realized, suddenly, that someone was shouting his name, and when he looked in the direction of the noise, he saw that Stretch’s tears had slowed, replaced with a panicked kind of look he’d never seen on the other’s face.

“Red, you need to call the doctor!”

He glanced back at his brother, trying to keep his own emotions in check. “What’s wrong with--”

“It isn’t him!” Stretch practically screamed, his voice growing pain-tinged as he curled in on himself, panting for a moment before seeming to force himself to speak again.

“It’s the b-baby...I th-think it’s--” he cried out again, and Red’s brain finally made the connection, turning and pressing the call button before turning his attention back to the skeleton in front of him.

The baby...it was coming.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also I wrote a little [drabble](http://archiveofourown.org/works/8585845/chapters/23790612) collection about Stretch and Fell's wedding! Yay! I'm sorry the ending to this has such shitty writing, hopefully the drabble collection makes up for that, yeah? XD


	19. In Which Stretch Is Poppin' Hardcore

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Also known as the Blue chapter
> 
> God, it's been a minute since I updated. Got caught up with other things, then had a lack of inspiration for where the story was going. On the plus side, guess who knows, now, where this story is going?! ME! WOO!!!  
> Probably shouldn't have switched my plan 18 chapters in, should I? (As a side note, I will probably be going back and doing some minor editing to previous chapters, just to get some continuity happening and, y'know, fix some of the suckiness)
> 
> [Song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kxxnMYwL9XA) of the chapter.

“Multiple members of the community have been hospitalized; the recent string of hostility not entirely unexpected after monsters had another big win at the hands of their King. Many thought that the treaty signed into existence this past spring would be a call for hope, but for the families of many, it has felt like the beginning of an attack. However, many of the humans involved in these specific attacks feel that their cause is justified, and that the treaty with monsterkind signals a new era, one in which they no longer feel protected from the unfamiliar. Authorities state, however, that anyone caught violating the treaty  _ will _ be brought to trial--”

The TV clicked off, and Razz jumped violently, having been so focused in on the newscaster that he hadn’t even noticed Blue coming into the room. He looked over his shoulder to see his soulmate standing behind him, teeth clenched in obvious anger as he tossed the remote back down onto the couch. 

“Anyone caught violating the treaty…” he growled, the show of anger completely unusual for the normally upbeat skeleton. “So why haven’t the people who beat Fell within an inch of his life been ‘brought to trial’? They  _ know _ who they are!”

Razz sighed heavily, glancing back at the TV before standing carefully and rounding the couch, laying a hand on Blue’s shoulder. “You know exactly why. There’s not a whole lot we can do about it, short of killing them ourselves.”

Blue shuddered visibly, shaking his head. “You know how I feel about--”

“I know. That wasn’t my point.”

There was a long moment of silence, broken only by the sound of Blue’s hand rasping over the back of his neck. He had been taking his gloves off more and more lately, and Razz was glad to see that he didn’t look as uncomfortable with it as he normally would have. 

“Razz, is this my fault?”

Blue’s voice was so quiet, Razz almost didn’t hear what he said. “...What?” 

Then he understood. Immediately, he reached out, pulling the other into a hug. He felt Blue melt into him for a heartbeat, then he stiffened, pulling back and settling his hands on Razz’s bare humeri. 

“The humans didn’t used to be...Well, they weren’t all bad like this. When we first got up here, they were so much more welcoming than we ever even hoped they would be! And then...then I--”

“No,” Razz said, his voice harsh. “How the hell would it cause that, anyway?”

Blue’s eyes dropped, and he sighed again. “Well, I’ve actually been...I looked into it. Some old files of Gaster’s that I found down in the old basement, they were about timeline disruptions, and how humans are more sensitive to the energies because of their souls being more powerful. It’s entirely possible that messing with the multi--”

[ *beat drop* ](https://youtu.be/pVLmZMjxfjw?t=54)

Blue jumped violently, letting out a sound somewhere between a squeak and a scream and somehow ending up knocking into Razz. He stumbled backwards, arms going around his soulmate instinctively as he felt them both starting to go down. They landed on the carpet with an  _ oof _ , the ringtone continuing loudly as they stared at each other in shock.

Then Blue started laughing, shoulders shaking and flushing lighting up his face brightly as he worked through his embarrassment. Razz snorted, hiding his grin as he reached forward to fish Blue’s phone out of his back pocket, ignoring the half-laughing snort of protest from the other. It wasn't like it was the first time he'd touched Blue's butt, come on.

Without bothering to check the Caller ID, he hit accept, handing the phone to Blue and smirking. Blue rolled his eyes, not bothering to get off him as he held the phone up to his face. 

“Hello?”

“OH THANK FUCK!”

Blue winced, holding the phone a little further away from his skull. Razz snickered again, looking up at him as they traded long-suffering looks. 

“Red, if they’re all out of mustard in the cafeteria, I told you, you can just go get more by yourself, he’ll be okay for a few--”

“What?! No, that’s not...The fucking...ARGH!”

Red sounded like he was on the verge of a mental breakdown, and Blue resisted the urge to keep picking at him. “Deep breaths, Red. What’s wrong?”

“Your brother--”

Blue sat up so fast that he managed to elbow Razz in the face, leaving him groaning in repressed pain as he pushed himself up to his feet. “Is he okay?”

“He’s going into labor! Get the fuck down here before I have to--”

“Already on my way,” Blue cut him off, reaching down to help Razz to his feet. “Hold tight until we get there, yeah?”

~~~

“What the fuck do I even do?” 

Red knew he was panicking, but he’d never faced anything like this before. Stretch looked like his insides were exploding, with the face he was making, and he--well. Technically, some of his insides were about to explode. 

Now Red kind of wanted to throw up.

“I don’t fucking know, Red, you can’t even stand there and look pretty because you’re kind of a creepy motherFUCK!” Stretch yelled, clutching his swollen abdomen as his eye lit up with magic. 

Red just stood there for a moment, staring at him, then turned around and pressed the call button again. He was  _ not _ fucking equipped for this bullshit!

Stretch yelled out again, something completely unintelligible, then reached out and grabbed Red by the sleeve, yanking him down to be on his eye level. “THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT!”

“What?! I’m not even the one that fucked--”

“IT’S STILL YOUR FAULT.” Stretch heaved a breath, his grip on Red’s shirt tightening to the point where he wouldn’t have been surprised if holes were being punctured in the material. “YOU’RE THE ONE THAT FUCKING RAISED HIM!”

Red had no fucking clue how to respond to something that made no sense, and he not-so-gently started trying to escape Stretch’s grip. In response, the other just held on tighter, still glaring at him even as another wave of pain shot through him. 

“Sh-should I--”

The door opened, two nurses in the hallway looking through the doorway. It didn’t seem to take them long to figure out what was happening, one quickly crossing the room to rescue Red from his fate as the other spun on her heel, probably to go get a doctor. 

“Sir, I need you to take deep, even breaths, you need to get the magic in your eye to--” 

Red tuned out the nurse, taking a few steps back to massage his probably bruised shoulder. Fuck, what should he even...Who even went into the delivery room during something like this? Wasn’t the...like, the father supposed to go in there?

He glanced down at the still form of his brother, sadness washing through him. 

The memory of Fell’s face when he’d found out he was going to be a parent burned through his mind, the joy in his sockets leaving behind a bad taste in his mouth. God, he’d been so excited. Red hadn’t expected that. He’d always been the one who’d wanted kids. Fell had always seemed indifferent to the whole idea, but he supposed there was something about having your own kids that would make his brother--

Shaking his head violently, he glanced back at Stretch. 

_His_ brother. He should call _his_ brother. That would be good. 

As he reached into his pocket, Stretch cried out again, hunching in on himself as the nurse looked at him worriedly, glancing back at the doorway in search of help before reaching out and settling a hand on his shoulder. 

Pulling out his phone and dialing quickly, Red crossed the room, checking down the hallway as the phone rang.

And kept ringing. 

He was just about to hang up in frustration when there was the click of the call being picked up. 

“Blue?”

Nothing.

He glared down at the phone in frustration, unsure how to help from here if the other didn’t answer. God, he was probably gonna have to go in there with Stretch, wasn’t he? He have to go help his fucking brother’s husband give birth and he’d have to fucking...hold it or something and oh god he didn’t want to watch Stretch’s stomach turn into all that goo shit like Gaster had shown him that one time in a video. Fuck, he had thrown up back then, hadn’t he, and it hadn’t even been someone he  _ knew _ \--

“Hello?”

“OH THANK FUCK!”

Ignoring both the way the nurse was now looking at him and the hoarse snicker that found its way out of Stretch’s mouth, Red slumped sideways against the doorframe. Deep breaths, he reminded himself. No goo shit today. Or hopefully ever. Did he really even want kids that badly?

“Red, if they’re all out of mustard in the cafeteria, I told you, you can just go get more, he’ll be okay for a few--”

“What?! No, that’s not...The fucking...ARGH!”

He rubbed his face in frustration as a few more people came into the room, presumably the doctor or some nurses. He didn’t really give a shit. Wasn’t his fucking baby. Fuck babies.

_ Don’t fuck babies, Sans, what the fuck. _

Blue sounded amused, and Red could hear Razz snickering in the background. Oh my god, if they were in the middle of having sex or something he was gonna--

“Deep breaths, Red. What’s wrong?”

Stretch cried out again, and Red glanced over. They seemed to be attempting to get him into a wheelchair. Red got an image of that one time they had all gone out and gotten super fucking drunk for Blue’s birthday and decided it would be a fantastic idea to put a passed-out Stretch in a grocery cart and use the whole thing as a battering ram for the--

He winced. Fuck. That guy’s about to be a parent.

“Your brother.”

There was a sharp intake of breath, and a  _ thump _ , followed by a wheeze.

“Is he okay?” 

Blue sounded panicked, and Red felt a wave of something dark wash through him. Was that was his voice had sounded like?

“He’s going into labor! Get the fuck down here before I have to--”

“Already on my way,” Blue cut him off, and Red breathed a sigh of relief. “Hold tight until we get there, yeah?”

The doctors started wheeling Stretch out of the room, and Red stepped out of the doorway to let them by, trying not to take the pregnant monster’s glare personally. 

“‘Course. But you’d better hurry up, this is about to get _ labor _ -intensive.”

_ Click _ .

Red snickered, and he heard Stretch’s laughter down the hallway. 

God, if Blue didn’t hurry the fuck up...

~~~

He had no idea bones could even  _ be _ this tiny…

Blue looked down in wonder at this little miracle, waving his little fists through the air as though looking for something to grab. His eyes weren’t even open yet, the strange combination of bone and magic that made up a skeleton’s eyelids needing a few more minutes to solidify. 

Stretch was sound asleep on the hospital bed, covered in a blanket and snoring softly. His magic had been depleted to nearly dangerous levels during the process, and the doctors had said it would probably take a day or two to recover through rest and periodic magic donations. 

The baby shifted again in Blue’s arms, nuzzling into his chest, and he took a deep breath, drawing his knees up so that he was effectively curled around his nephew, holding him as closely as his still-hardening bones would allow. 

Blue shouldn’t be here. 

This child...this beautiful, perfect child, wasn’t even his. He’d never really been big on the idea of children, and Razz had made it very clear early on that it was not something he was willing to consider until they were, at the very least, in a more stable position. With everything that had happened, he hadn’t even  _ wanted  _ to argue. He still wouldn’t have wanted to. It wasn’t that...he didn’t want this to be his kid, he didn’t want one of his own at all. It was just…

It wasn’t his baby. 

It was his brother’s. And…

And it was Fell’s.

Fell should be the one sitting here, holding his child, worrying about his husband, wishing he could do more. But he couldn’t. Fell was laying in a completely different room, on the edge of death.

He could feel tears sliding down his face, and he wiped them away quickly before they could land on the child’s head. 

This was Fell’s son, just as much as it was his brother’s. And the likelihood of Fell ever waking up was close to nothing. His brother would be left alone, left to raise this child by himself. He would become a near-constant reminder of what he had lost, no matter how much he loved him.

This was all Blue’s fault.

What had he  _ done _ ?

~~~

“He said no?”

Red was awoken by the murmured conversation, blinking his eyes open slowly and looking around. He’d been passed out on Sans’ shoulder, sound asleep through the long and boring process of waiting for someone to give birth, and then waiting again for Blue to finally come out, bearing the news that everyone was fine, Stretch was just going to have to sleep it off and the baby was being kept in the neonatal ward for a few hours as the doctors made sure he was okay. He hadn’t been born  _ too _ early, but it was better to be safe than sorry. 

As Sans quietly relayed the information to him, Red blinking wearily, the conversation across the room continued.

“Of course he said no, have you met my brother?”

Blue looked as though he’d been crying, blue tinging the edges of his eyes. Razz was watching him warily, eyes darting between his soulmate and the door to the delivery room. “Is he gonna bring the kid with him?”

“Of course not. But I need to be with him, to make sure he doesn’t do anything stupid. I don’t know what he’s going to do with Corbel, though.”

There was a pause, and Red suddenly realized that Sans was listening in too, their attention each fixed on the other couple.

“I don’t think I can--”

“I wouldn’t ask you to. I know you don’t really...it’s not your thing.”

Razz’s voice sounded raw, almost. “I’d just...what if I lost con--”

“You’re stronger than that, and you know it. But I would never push something like that on you.” Blue sighed. “It does still beg the question--”

“What are you guys talking about?”

Blue jumped at the sound of Red’s voice, spinning around abruptly. Then he sighed, rubbing the back of his neck in a nervous gesture he recognized very well. He noticed, suddenly, that Blue wasn’t wearing his gloves.

“They’re gonna try that semi-experimental surgery on Fell as soon as Stretch isn’t on bed rest anymore,” Razz said, rolling his eyes. “And the fucking idiot refuses--”

“My brother wants to be near his husband during the process,” Blue interrupted, and Razz snickered, leaning back. 

“So you need someone to watch the kid?” Red asked, raising a brow.

Blue scrunched his brow in frustration. “Yeah, but I’m gonna be at the hospital with Stretch, so I don’t know who--”

“What the hell are  _ we _ , Blueberry?”

Blue gave him a look of confusion. “Skeletons?”

“I’m the kid’s uncle, too. We could watch him, dumbass.” Red said through Sans’ snickering. 

Blue’s face immediately cleared, then he looked Red and Sans up and down, a look of hesitation in his eyes. “Uh...I don’t think--”

“Blue, come on. What, you don’t trust us with a baby?”

“I’m not sure I’d trust you with a pet rock, to be perfectly honest. When was the last time you showered?”

Sans’ laughter increased in volume, Red frowning at him before returning his attention back to Blue. “This morning. Also, rude.”

Razz cracked a smile, and Blue shot him a disapproving look that quickly morphed into a restrained grin of his own before turning his attention back to Red, who was still talking.

“Anyway, it’s not like we’d be raising the little thing. We’d just be taking care of it for a few hours! All we’d have to do is make sure we refill the water bowl, change its newspapers occasionally--”

Blue sighed, rolling his eyes, and Red could feel Sans’ arm settling around his shoulders. 

“Fine.” said the smaller skeleton, not really having any other choice. 

Red pumped a fist in the air, feeling Sans’ excitement in the excited shaking of the leg that was brushing against his own. “ _ Yes! _ It’ll be great, it can’t be that hard. It ain’t like we’ve never done it before, right? I mean, after Fell,  _ anyone _ would be easier to--”

He stopped mid-sentence, eyes hardening, and Blue’s expression fell as Razz’s posture stiffened. Red could feel Sans’ arm tightening around his shoulders, and he sighed. 

“Anyway, sounds great, Blue. Looking forward to it.”


	20. If olive oil is made out of olives...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I know fuckin nada about human development before the age of about two, so this is total bullshit. Anything you see that a four-day-old couldn't actually do, I'm just gonna say it's because they're skeletons and their development is different than ours.   
> Also, don't question how sharp teeth and bottles mix. Or why this four-day-old has teeth in the first place. Fuck logic, what's logic in this fandom anyway?
> 
> Alternate Titles: In Which Red is Me
> 
> [Song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dbr1M2Cx2LY&index=70) of the chapter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's 2 am and I have not bothered to edit this yet. Just ignore the grammar mistakes, I'll come back and fix it later

Sans was awoken, quite abruptly, by a sudden blast of cold and the sound of his name in a loud, raspy voice he knew all too well. 

“Red, what the fuck are you  _ doing? _ ” he groaned, blindly reaching for the blanket that had been so suddenly yanked from where it had been doing such a good job helping him pretend he didn’t have any responsibilities. When he didn’t find it, he cracked one eye open, glaring up in search of his alternate and letting out an undignified squeak when he found him to be less than an inch from his face. “RED!”

The larger laughed, eyelights brightening in amusement before he pulled back, leaving Sans staring after him and contemplating homicide. He was already dressed, wearing an oversized sweatshirt from the back of his closet and one of his several pairs of the same black and yellow basketball shorts. He still had ahold of the blanket, holding it up and out of Sans’ reach as he papped one of the pillows excitedly. “Time to wake up!”

…..what in the everliving fuck?

“Who the hell are you and what have you done with my b--” Sans cut himself off abruptly, going bright blue, but Red didn’t seem to notice, grinning brightly and reaching down with his free hand to pull the other up to sit. 

“Blue will be here with Corbel in an hour! Get up!”

Sans bit back a smile at the other’s excitement, swinging his legs over the side of the bed with a groan. “It’s too early for this shit. Babies are hard.”

“Well, yeah,” said Red, letting the blanket go as he crossed the room to grab some of Sans’ clothes off of the top of his dresser. “They’re made mostly of bones, and those tend to be pretty hard.”

Snorting softly, Sans got to his feet, yawning widely as he crossed the room to the other. Ignoring Red’s yelp of surprise, he threw his arms around Red’s ribcage from behind and buried his face in his scapula. After he got over being jump-scared, Red laughed again, the sound bright and happy, and turned around in the hug to return it properly. He planted a kiss on the top of Sans’ head, squeezing tightly for a moment before letting him go, eyes still lit up with joy.

Sans did his best not to let his expression get too sappy.

He was pretty sure he failed miserably. 

“It’s good to see you so happy,” he said quietly, and Red grinned back, completely unabashed. 

“Well, for once, there’s a lot to be happy about!” he shot back, gently pushing Sans out of the embrace and handing him a pile of half-folded clothes. “Now get dressed! I’m going to go find that old Mozart CD you told me about! Paps is gonna be so proud of his little spawn when he wakes up, playin’ conciertos and shit!”

Sans snorted. “Red, Corbel is five days old. I don’t think you’re gonna teach him how to--”

“Never doubt the Magnificent Red!”

“You’re such a  _ nerd _ …”

Red just shrugged, turning to the door before Sans caught him by the arm. He looked back at him questioningly, and Sans struggled to keep his expression neutral. “Red...you know that the surgery is experimental, right?”

Expression darkening for a moment, Red shrugged again. “Yeah, I know. But I just…I have a really good feeling about it all! I think he’s gonna pull through, the stubborn little shit…”

Sans snorted and let go of the other’s arm before reaching for the hem of his shirt so that he could get changed. “Well, alright. And I don’t think he’s a very  _ little _ shit anymore.”

“Nah, he’s just a really big asshole. See ya downstairs!”

And with that, he was gone, and Sans felt the smile drop from his face. Red seemed so  _ happy _ .

God, he wanted it to last.

~~~

“--and I found like five different kinds of bottles at the store, but Stretch didn’t have any idea which one worked best when I asked him so I just brought all of them,” Blue was saying, digging through the diaper bag he had brought with him with his free hand in search of anything else he needed to clarify. “If he cries, try feeding him, if he still cries, try--”

“Blue.” Red interrupted, holding out his arms impatiently. “I know all this. So does Sans. We’re all the same person, remember? We’ve all done this before.”

Blue shot him a doubtful look, but sighed, setting the bag on the coffee table and turning to him, still holding a sleeping Corbel tightly. Red could see the steady flicker of the infant’s yellow soul through his white onesie. The little guy’s face reminded Red more than a little of what he remembered of his own brother at this age, so it was always a shock when those tiny, smooth eyelids popped open to reveal a color as bright as yellow. It was a darkish, smudgy sort of yellow, with an orange tinge to it that made Red think that the kid might develop a secondary trait to accompany the obvious primary one of Justice. 

He held out his arms, more than ready at this point to take over responsibility, but Blue didn’t move, still looking him up and down with his brows scrunched up. Red huffed, rolling his eyes and dropping his arms. “What am I gonna do, Blue? Give him the key to the liquor cabinet? Introduce him to shady colleagues?”

Rolling his eyes, Blue said, “No, but you could drop him, forget about him, not clean his magic,  _ breathe _ on him wrong…”

“Blue,  _ come on _ , I’m not that irresponsible.”

All he got in response to that was a look of disbelief. 

He was about to open his mouth, spouting a protest that wouldn’t be likely to make his case any more convincing, when Sans piped up from the kitchen doorway. “Blue, he woke up at six am this morning to  _ clean the house _ . Give him the baby and go be with your brother. We’ll be fine.”

Even Blue had to crack a smile at Sans’ tone, finally sighing and stepping forward to pass his nephew into Red’s arms before turning to exchange a few quick words with Sans. 

Red tuned them out, grinning from ear to nonexistent ear as he watched the babybones unconsciously snuggle into the front of his poofy sweatshirt. He’d known he’d made the right call, pulling this thing out of the back of his closet. 

Corbel’s tiny fist curled, clenching around nothing as his sharp teeth opened slightly, letting out a little sigh that kind of made Red want to hit something. He adjusted the other in his arms, crossing the room carefully to settle down on the couch before reaching out with one hand, brushing the tips of his fingers against the little one’s skull. Corbel shifted again, and Red smiled softly. The fist unclenched, and he was quick to move his hand, pressing a phalanx into the other’s palm and feeling his soul give a  _ thump _ as it was gripped as tightly as the other could, as small as he was. 

“Red?”

He looked up, finger still trapped, and found himself flushing at the expression on Sans’ face. He cleared his throat, quietly, and murmured, “Did Blue leave?”

“Yeah,” he responded, following Red’s lead on the volume as he came to sit next to him on the couch. “He said goodbye to you and everything.”

Red was distracted for a moment by the cutest sneeze he had ever heard, making sure Corbel was still sleeping soundly before turning his attention back to the other. “Crap. Well, that’ll inspire confidence.” The baby shifted again, and he immediately looked back down, arms tightening the barest fraction.

There were a few moments of silence, then he felt Sans lean against his side, draping an arm over the back of the couch and settling his chin on his shoulder so that he could look down at the baby. 

“Are you usually this into kids? Or is it just because he’s family?”

Red shrugged softly, careful not to disturb Corbel. “Don’t tell anyone, but I’ve always kinda had a thing for cute things in general. Kids are...sweet. There weren’t a lot of ‘em where I come from. We were all required by law to send all the kids to the palace, so that any skills they developed could be put to use by the royal family. Paps and I were some of the few that stayed out on the streets.” He glanced over at Sans, taking in the horrified expression on his face and shaking his head quickly. “Asgore never hurt the kids or nothin’. It was actually safer for ‘em there than it was out in the middle of a world that would sooner kill you than spare you a bite to eat. It was just….” He looked back down at Corbel, his smile returning. “The world seems a lot darker when you can go a decade without even seein’ a little kid. They’ve just got this...joy in life that no adult really seems to be able to capture. It makes me feel like maybe I could be a little happier, if I learned from the little guys.”

Sans was quiet for a few seconds, reaching out to brush a hand along Corbel’s small arm. “They’re special, aren’t they?”

“They sure as hell are.”

There was a few more moments of peaceful silence, then Sans sighed, heaving himself to his feet and going to pick up the abandoned diaper bag. “Holy...did Blue pack Stretch’s entire nursery in this thing?!”

~~~

“So...how’s the ‘joy in life’ goin’ for ya?”

“Sans! Just get the damn formula mixed!” Red growled, resisting the urge to pace faster. Corbel had woken up a few minutes earlier. At first, he’d just stared up at him with his tiny face scrunched, probably trying to figure out why his uncle Blue’s eyes had changed color. Then, his soul had picked up their resonances, and all hell completely broke loose. 

He was crying loudly enough that Red winced with every great, hiccupping sob. The pitch of the screams seemed to be growing, and Sans was taking  _ forever _ to get the bottle ready. 

This was just so much  _ louder _ than he remembered it being.

Corbel wailed again, and Red shushed him softly, bouncing him in his arms as he repeatedly circled the couch, hoping the repetitive motions would help sooth the sobbing babybones. No such luck, apparently. 

“Red,” came Sans’ voice from right behind him, and he let out a sigh of relief, turning to face the other. Sans winced as Corbel screamed again, then reached out, resting the fingers of one hand on the top of the baby’s head as he held the bottle towards his mouth. 

With one more hiccup, Corbel quieted, mouth opening as if on automatic and allowing the bottle to be put in his mouth.

They both watched him for a moment, relieved expressions coloring their faces. Then Red glanced up, as if on automatic, and he couldn’t help his smile at the careful way Sans watched the infant for any problems. He didn’t even notice the shift in his own eyelights until Sans looked up, immediately flushing bright blue at the look he was receiving. 

“What?” 

His smile grew, and he leaned forward, careful not to squish the baby between them, and pecked Sans on the cheek. 

“I love you.”

Sans rolled his eyes, but he was smiling, too.

“You realize we’re going to have to give this baby back at some point, right?”

Red pretended to consider that, then he gasped loudly, making Sans jump and glare at him. “Not if we just steal it!”

“...What?”

“Yeah, c’mon, let’s just steal this baby. It’ll be fine!”

“Red, what the fu--”

“Hey! No swearing in front of this baby that we’re about to steal! Go pack your bags, we’re running away together.”

Sans snorted and shook his head, then gestured with his head down at the bottle. “Can you hold this? I sorta...made a mess in the kitchen. Gotta go clean it up. Also gotta add “replace Blue’s baby formula” to the grocery list.”

Snickering, Red took the bottle, and Sans grinned at him again before turning and walking into the kitchen. 

Corbel shifted, lifting a hand to pap at the bottle, and Red looked down at him warily. “C’mon, dude, don’t start cryin’ again.” Instead of listening to logic and reason, Corbel’s face scrunched up, papping the bottle again as his eyes started to fill up with tears. Red started bouncing him again, adjusting the bottle to make sure there were no bubbles. “Corbel, little man, I will pay you 5 G if you don’t start crying.”

Finally managing to bat the bottle away, Corbel took a deep, shuddering breath in, watery yellow eyes glowing brightly. 

“You drive a hard bargain. Fine, 10 G.”

Sans snickered to himself from his place in the kitchen as a loud cry was heard, immediately followed by a disappointed groan. Kids sure were special, weren’t they?

~~~

When Papyrus was still a baby, Sans had been alone. They’d taken to the streets so soon after his birth that he was usually at a loss, babies being much more complicated to take care of than he ever would have guessed. If it hadn’t been for other street rats and random passersby taking occasional pity on a dirt-covered kid and his infant brother, Papyrus would have dusted within the first few days. 

As it was, he managed to keep his baby brother alive, learning quickly what was required, skipping countless meals to have the means to buy formula and other essentials. He’d thought, back then, that he had it all figured out, the schedules of countless days drilling into him exactly how to keep Papyrus from turning to dust, to keep him quiet while he was sneaking away from street gangs, how to comfort him when he would cry because, despite Sans’ best efforts, he was usually hungry.

Now, though?

He collapsed back onto the couch, wondering how the hell he lost his skills and deciding to blame it on the fact that it had been a few decades. Corbel was  _ finally _ back to sleep, Red passed the fuck  _ out _ on the couch beside them. He’d refused to let go of the kid for literal hours, holding him close to his chest and alternating between pacing the house and sitting on the couch, comforting him when he would cry and just holding him when he wasn’t. Sans had noticed, a few times, Red’s magic seeping out from the collar of his shirt, excess from his soul that had focused itself down enough to work as a calming agent, something to get the kid used to his magic. 

Sans remembered doing that with Papyrus, especially before he could understand. Paps had developed slowly enough as a child that he had been concerned, his communication delayed past what Sans could see of other kids, his fine motor movements restricted until Sans had carefully practiced with him, over and over again, to make sure he could move however he wanted to. Those little soul wisps, before Papyrus had been able to talk, had been about the only communication Sans had with his brother, the only way to get his attention and the only way to express what he was feeling. 

Sans wondered, as he watched Red, if he had done that too, with Fell. Was that even something they knew about in Underfell? This reaction seemed more automatic than anything, as though it was just Red’s body’s way of assuring a distressed child that they were meant no harm. 

Having heard Red’s stories, Sans knew that he loved his brother more than most things in the world, not that he would ever actually  _ admit  _ that to anyone. No, they tended to be a closed book with their affections when it came to their siblings, no matter how obvious it was to everyone else that they cared. Fell had been Red’s whole world for so long, even after that world was ripped apart, even after everyone they knew was dead and they were kicked across the universe and landing here, with their alternates. 

God, what was Red going to  _ do _ if Fell--

Sans was jerked out of his reverie by the sound of an engine in the driveway. Glancing around to make sure they had cleaned up and put everything back into the diaper bag, Sans nudged Red carefully, holding out the baby as the other came awake enough to hold him. 

“I think Blue’s here,” he said in response to the unasked question, and Red nodded tiredly, holding Corbel closely. 

Sans stood and crossed the room, pulling open the door just as a soft knock echoed against the wood. 

“Hey, how did the--”

Sans cut himself off, staring down in shock at the look on Blue’s face.

Oh. 

Oh, no.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ((POSSIBLE SPOILER ALERT BELOW))
> 
> Addin' that Archive Warning a little early, just so we're all mentally prepared for this next chapter. I know I'm not.


	21. You’re severely injuring my heart, Felly

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some of you were scared for this one.  
> Honestly, you were right to be scared. 
> 
> Please mind that shiny new archive warning. This is potentially very triggering. Also, very brief mention of a past abusive relationship.
> 
> [Song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FGQu8rjDWPo) of the chapter.

LV is hard to explain to someone who doesn’t have any.

Commonly, LV is seen as more of a forbidden superpower than anything else. Other monsters, the ones who have never killed anyone, look at your raised HP and your powerful ATK and DEF and they think, just for a split second, “Wow, that must be nice.”

Then they do a double-take on their own thoughts because _Oh my god_ , how the hell could they even _think_ that?!

Of course, everyone knows _how_ you get LV. One or two isn’t necessarily a societal condemnation, though, because accidents do happen, and monsters as a whole tend to be understanding and kind.

But people check Razz, and they immediately take a step back, as though afraid they’ll be next. He gets it, he _really_ does. Blue has made sure to explain to him many times over how things work in this world, that you _cannot_ kill people unless there is a very real danger. As hard as that is to adjust to, he doesn’t plan to kill anyone unless they lay a hand on him or his soulmate. But the looks in their eyes when they see that he has _eleven_ …

Well, what they are thinking is probably right. Razz _has_ killed countless monsters, for one reason or another. He was a mercenary in his world, after all. It was in the job description. Dust on his boots was more of an annoyance than anything, and even that wasn’t so bad when he had a brother, a ready-made servant with how useless he had always been at anything else, to clean them up for him.

And of course, death got easier to dole out as he did it more. That’s how LV works, after all. That’s what it’s _for_. Not a superpower, a mental and emotional protection that was entirely necessary for the sanity of someone who had killed as much as he or anyone else in his world had.

He could feel his LV even now, a near-physical weight surrounding his soul, shielding it and his magic from the repercussions of his sins. If he were to lose all of his LV, he would go mad. Monsters truly were naturally compassionate creatures, and for one to have the sins that he did _without_ that protection would inevitably result in insanity. The guilt would weigh heavier than any LV ever could.

Even having lost one point, it got to him sometimes. He would hide up in his bedroom, knees tucked to his chest and stare blank-eyed at a wall as he remembered the look on someone’s face as their families, their _children_ were turned to dust before them, at _his_ hands.

He supposed he had Blue to blame for that. Not that he regretted it. Without his soulmate, he would still be trapped in his world. If he had never met him, he would still be the person he once was. But sometimes, he did wish he didn’t have to... _feel_.

Emotions were still difficult, even with one point lost. The missing bit, the bit that Blue had cracked out of his shield when he’d ended up in his world, only allowed for the slightest of gaps in his LV. He had to really concentrate, focus all of his energy on the gap for it to widen and let emotion through. It was so much easier to just get them from Blue.

With a soul bond, they could skip the gap altogether, and Blue’s feelings were his own. Normally, it would work both ways, but Razz had long since found that he didn’t much care for his own emotions. Blue was like a light, brightening his soul without even meaning to, even sending positive emotions on purpose sometimes just because he’d felt Razz being a little more empty than usual.

So it was easy to realize, when Blue wasn’t happy.

Even if he hadn’t noticed the empty-eyed expression on his face the past few days, Razz would have felt how lost he was. Over time, and over the repeated expression, their connection had widened astronomically from where it had started. There wasn’t much they could hide from each other, and what they could hide had to be kept in close or it would slip through without their realizing it.

Of course he knew _why_ Blue felt so empty. He wasn’t quite so empty himself that he didn’t understand the reason.

Fell was dying.

Other people were getting easier for Razz to understand, even if he couldn’t feel them like he could Blue. Happy emotions were easy, they came with smiles and laughs and the whole air around them was lighter, almost. Bad emotions, however, got harder for him to figure out. It was difficult enough to distinguish between anger and sadness and fear in himself, let alone other people.

But even he knew what the expression the doctor wore out of surgery meant. They had failed.

He’d thought, at first, that Fell was already dead. Doctors in his world had been unskilled at best and malicious at worst, and it wasn’t uncommon for the slip of the knife to mean a pile of dust on dirty gray sheets. But no, the surgery had only been unsuccessful. Fell wasn’t dead, but he was still _dying_. And, apparently, faster now.

Normally, Razz would have summoned up his own emotional reaction to this news. He knew he felt _something_ about the impending death of someone he begrudgingly considered a friend, but the devastated crash of Blue’s tentative hopes had washed over him far too quickly. It was overwhelming him to the point where he had to step out, take a few deep breaths, put up a few walls until he had thoroughly reminded himself that what he was feeling was _sadness_ , not anger, and that there was absolutely no reason to summon any weapons at all, thank you very much.

He hadn’t been able to go back until Blue was ready to leave and Stretch had gone to accompany Fell back to his room. Even with as many walls up as he’d been able to manage, the negative emotion was overwhelming. You’d think after three years of being bonded with someone like Blue, he’d be used to it, but there was just something about the abject hopelessness and guilt that made him want to cower. He _never_ cowered.

He was confused, at first. He hadn’t thought that Fell and Blue were even that close.

Now, though, standing at the kitchen sink and wincing as another round of shame that didn’t belong to him came into his soul, creeping in a little bit at a time as though it didn’t want to be there, he was starting to understand. He set down the half-washed plate in his hands, letting out a soft sigh as he considered how to handle this.

Blue’s emotions were usually a tidal wave, breaking and washing over him seemingly out of nowhere. This slow draw, guilt bleeding into him like this, meant that Blue didn’t want him to feel it. Blue didn’t want him to pick up on the fact that _he_ felt responsible.

The worst part about it was that…well, Blue had a point. There was every chance that it _was_ his fault. Razz had seen the research Blue had told him about, and it was entirely possible that the things he had done to get Razz back after all that time had caused the humans’ souls to become...corrupted, in a sense.

But that didn’t mean he could just _stand_ here while Blue was sitting out there, alone, blaming himself. He might not know a lot about emotion, but there was no way that that would end well.

He made his way out to the living room, wiping his hands on the old black T-shirt he was wearing. Blue was sitting on the couch, back to his soulmate and staring down at his hands. Razz could just barely see the shaking of his shoulders, and he bit back a sigh. Blue didn’t cry often, and when he did, Razz couldn’t help but feel useless. How was he supposed to react to something like that?

“Blue.”

His voice was quiet, but the reaction was immediate. Blue’s head snapped around, wiping quickly at his eyes as he locked gazes with his soulmate. Razz sighed again as Blue smiled up at him, looking for all the world as if he was perfectly fine. It would have almost been convincing if Razz hadn’t been able to feel the pulsing sadness in his soul.

“Blue, can I help you? I don’t want you to be…” he trailed off lamely, at a loss for words for once in his life.

There was a quiet sniff, and Razz felt almost gratified as the smile fell from the other’s face. He’d always hated it when Blue tried to pretend he was happy when he obviously wasn’t. He deserved better than that.

“I’m fine, Razz. I just…” he looked down at his hands again as Razz circled the couch, coming to sit next to him. “I don’t know how to...to fix this.”

Razz looked at him carefully, taking in the expression on his face and the way his entire body was tensed up, fearful of the answer. After a moment, he drew in a deep breath, letting it out smoothly before reaching out, gathering the other into his arms and pressing a kiss to the side of his skull. “Blue, you can’t undo what’s in the past.”

“I-I know that, I just--”

“Maybe you just have to think about...making up for it? Doing what you can to make it better, even if you can’t fix it all the way?” It came out sounding like a question, and Razz felt Blue stiffen in his arms. He frowned, then closed his eyes, concentrating until he could feel the glimmer of something warm, a tired sort of joy that only seemed to appear when he was looking at Blue.

His soulmate relaxed, ever so slightly, when he felt Razz open up to him. Razz could feel his chest moving evenly, matching the pace of his own breathing, and he kissed the side of his head again. “I’ll bet if anyone could think of a way to atone, it would be you.”

Blue was quiet for a long moment.

“Yeah…yeah, that would be...” There was an odd jump in his soul, something high and low all at the same time, but Razz barely had time to wonder at it before it was gone, slammed behind a door in Blue’s soul where he couldn’t look. “That would be best, I think.”

The clock rang, signalling the turn of the hour.

“Hey, Razz?”

“What?”

“I love you, you know.”

“Yeah, I know. I love you too.”

Razz might not be sure of emotions, but he sure as hell understood that one. Every time he said it, he thought, it rang impossibly truer.

~~~

Red and Sans had beat them there. It wasn’t an altogether surprising notion, now that he was thinking about it, but it did seem strange at first. Stretch was, of course, right by Fell’s bedside, clutching tightly to his hand and murmuring quietly enough that he was impossible to hear. Corbel was nowhere to be seen, and Razz remembered saying something about Alphys taking the day off of work with Undyne to watch him while they sat vigil. No child should be subjected to the dusting of their parent.

Red was sitting quietly on Fell’s other side, knees drawn up to his chest in a rickety chair that was really too small for that sort of thing. His eyes were empty, but his phalanges were shaking. Sans was sitting next to him, closer to Fell’s feet, and he had one hand laid supportively across Red’s upper arm, lending what little support he could.

As they watched, Red reached up with one hand, clasping it over the top of Sans’ for a moment as he squeezed his eyes shut.

Razz felt a pang of... _something_ shoot through his soul, and he shot a questioning look at Blue. The other didn’t seem to notice, glancing between his brother and their alternates before sighing, beginning to make his way towards the bed as quietly as he could, leaning down to murmur a question to Sans, who turned his head just enough to make out the words.

_How long?_

The question was burning across Razz’s mind as well, and there was something stinging behind his eyes. He knew what it was, and he knew that he fucking _hated_ crying, but…

_“Does that mean you think I’m the hottest person in the room, Fell? Because we’re both in relationships and this is kinda awkward.”_

Damn it.

Damn it, he didn’t want to be here. He didn’t want to be here, he didn’t want to watch someone he actually _cared_ about turn into dust, he didn’t _want_ to watch this, he hated this room, he hated the _feeling_ in it, like they were all waiting for the world to end, why was he here, why had Blue brought him, none of these people liked him anyway, least of all Fell, what kind of stupid idea was it to just...just sit _vigil_ ? They’d only been here for maybe two minutes and he already wanted out, he just wanted _out_ , he didn’t know what to feel he didn’t know what he was supposed to feel was he angry was he sad what _was_ this, why were they--

“Razz.”

He jumped violently, hands darting forward and seizing Blue by the wrists before he could touch him. Blue didn’t react, other than a subtle shift in his eyelights, letting his arms go slack before Razz could perceive him as a threat. After a moment or two of tense silence, during which Red and Stretch didn’t even seem to notice that anything was happening, Razz took a deep, shuddering breath, snatching his hands away from Blue’s as though they were on fire. “S-sorry.”

Blue watched him carefully, something unidentifiable in his eyelights, and Razz felt...something. Something, trying to cross their connection before Blue snatched it back, holding it out of reach.

“Razz, it’s okay. Do you want to go get some water?”

He was giving him an out. Razz recognized it immediately, Blue was giving him an out, all he needed to do was take it, and he could leave. He could leave, and he wouldn’t have to be here while they were just...just _waiting_ …

“Yeah. Yeah, just...I’ll be right back.”

No fucking way was he coming back until…

He locked eyes with Blue again, the other giving him a small, shaky smile, then turned around, leaving the room and closing the door solidly behind him.

He would be gone before Razz got back. That much was obvious. He was teetering on the edge, practically crumbling already. He knew what it look like to fall down, had caused it in others on occasion, and Fell was nearly there.

Razz didn’t have to see it.

He walked slowly down the hall, electing to visit the water cooler on the next floor down instead of the one right nearby.

He wondered if he was gone yet.

He grabbed one of the paper cups, holding it under the spout and pressing the little button.

If Stretch went alongside, would Blue insist on taking the...the baby?

He lifted the cup to his mouth, downing the contents quickly as he was lost in thought.

How would they even begin to--

Something strange was happening to his soul.

Razz froze, one hand in the middle of reaching for the cooler again. It felt like a...like a push, as though magic had been gathered together and shot out all at once. It was a removed sort of feeling, and he couldn’t quite comprehend why, at first.

Then a fiery line of pain lanced through his soul, and he barely bit back a cry of pain as he fell down to one knee.

_No._

His soul begin to burn, and he could feel tears beginning to gather below his sockets as it spread, covering his whole being, racing through him as though it had intent to hurt.

_No, no, no--_

Razz froze completely, eyelights contracting as he fell the rest of the way to his hands and knees. His soul gave one more painful pulse, then, with the pain fading as suddenly as it had come, Razz felt dust drifting down onto his ribcage.

He…

He felt so…

 _Empty_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [One-shot](http://archiveofourown.org/works/11270064/chapters/25202385) about why Blue and Razz aren't married, but are bonded.


	22. Why the Fuck would you touch him rn

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [Song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FpEX_TV3M_M) of the chapter. Ignore that it's an AMV or whatever those are called, I'm not in Voltron fandom this is just where I found the song? I have no fucking clue what Klance is and I'm honestly kind of confused that this is a fandom. Anyway, back to the skeletons and normalcy.
> 
> More angst. All the angst. This story is angsty, okay? I'm not really sorry.
> 
> ENJOY!

“How much longer does he...?”

Blue’s voice was quiet enough that Sans could barely hear it, turning the merest inch to show his attention while still giving Red the comfort he so desperately needed. He’d been shaking a lot this morning, fingers trembling to the point that Sans had been forced to take his coat from him and help him get his arms into the sleeves. It had only gotten worse since they’d gotten here, his stubborn refusal to let his emotions show through more traditional means resulting in a trembling sort of agony that made Sans desperately want to fix it, to do  _anything_ to help. But there was nothing he could do except just... _be_ here. 

They’d only been here for a few minutes, barely beating Blue and Razz here despite their shortcutting. Stretch must have called his brother first, not that that was particularly surprising.

“Minutes, maybe.”

Blue nodded, straightening up to return to his soulmate. Despite himself, Sans’ eyes followed him as he crossed the room. He wasn’t wearing his usual attire, armor apparently forgotten in his rush to make it in time. He still wore his neckerchief and gloves, of course. It was a rare occasion to see him without those, if he wasn’t at home. 

Sans narrowed his eyes as he watched Blue approach Razz. The other was clearly on the verge of panicking, breathing hard, his eyelights flickering. He wondered why. He hadn’t thought Razz would really be that upset about Fell. Even with as little as Sans knew about the way LV truly worked, he knew that the other didn’t feel things as clearly as most--

“Razz,” Blue murmured, reaching towards his soulmate with concern. 

The reaction was immediate, Razz’s hands jumping up to seize Blue’s wrists, squeezing tightly as his eye flared with magic. Blue let his arms go completely limp in the same moment that Sans tensed, rising part of the way out of his seat as everything he’d ever heard about him, everything Slim had ever told his brother and his brother had only hinted at, all of it flashed through his mind. 

Before he could even light up his magic, however, Razz’s grip had vanished, hands snatched away and  held carefully by his sides as he muttered a quiet apology. 

Sans saw Blue take a breath, then hold it as he murmured something quietly to his soulmate. Razz grew very still, then he was nodding quickly. 

“Yeah. Yeah, just...I’ll be right back.”

A moment passed, something seeming to pass between the two of them, then Razz was gone. Blue seemed to deflate, the hard line of his shoulders dropping the barest amount before he turned back, crossing the room to sit beside Fell. To Sans’ surprise, he didn’t sit by his brother, instead taking a seat directly beside Sans. 

“Hey, Sans?”

The monitor gave a beep, and everyone in the room seemed to flinch, staring between Fell and the screen until it became clear that it was nothing more than a quicker-than-normal drop in his magic reserves. Red took a deep, shuddering breath, closing his eyes before pulling his hand away from Sans’ to clasp his brother’s hand more tightly. Sans leaned forward to kiss the side of his head before leaning back again, turning his attention to Blue. 

“Yeah?”

“He’s good to me, you know.”

“Wha--”

“He’s so good to me. He always has been.” Blue took a deep breath, and Sans noticed that his fingers were shaking. “Razz is...he deserves someone to care about him, you know? I know you still...I mean, I’m not so self-absorbed to think you still care about me like  _ that _ . You have Red, and it’s wonderful to see how happy you are. But I know you care about me, and you’re still _my_ best friend, no matter what has happened between us. And best friends want each other to be happy, right?”

Sans gave him a bewildered look. “Blue, is this really the time to be having this conversation? I think there’s kind of--”

“No, no, listen. He’s made me happy. He really,  _ really _ has. And he doesn’t...I know that a lot of you think he’s...violent, or that he’s not good for me, because of how he used to be. But he doesn’t...he doesn’t deserve for people to think that way. He deserves for more than just me to care about him.”

“Blue--”

“Sans,” he interrupted, turning his gaze up to look him directly in the eyes. “Thank you for being there for me, despite everything I’ve done. Even though you don’t...you don’t really know most of it. Just...thank you. And hold onto Red, as tightly as you can. You’re meant for one another, it’s so easy to see that you’re...that's you're going to have a fantastic life with him. Don’t ever give that up, don't risk it, not for _anything_.”

Sans’s mind was racing, and he opened his mouth to say something, anything that would make any sort of sense for this out-of-place conversation. Before he could say a word, however, Blue pushed his chair back, standing quickly and crossing the room to stand beside his brother.

Carefully, he leaned down, speaking quietly and reaching out to brush away a tear below his little brother’s eye with his thumb. He was nodding, and Stretch turned to look up at him, confusion written across his face. 

“What?”

Blue murmured again, more urgently this time, and lifted a hand to press to the side of Stretch’s skull. 

“I mean...of course I love you too, but Sans, why are you--”

Leaning forward, Blue clanked his forehead against his brother’s in the same moment the machine gave another shriek. This time, the screen flashed as well, and Sans tore his eyes away from the strange exchange to watch as Fell’s levels fell rapidly, far too rapidly. 

Several things happened at once. 

Stretch cried out, reaching back toward his husband as new tears began to fall. Red tensed, eyes flickering between the machine and his brother’s face. Blue took a step back, breath shuddering as he glued his eyes to the monitor.

And Sans put the pieces together.

With a strangled gasp, he dropped Red’s hand, shooting to his feet as Blue’s soul started to glow through his shirt. His eyes were squeezed shut in concentration, both hands pressed to his chest. There were tears leaking from the bottoms of his eye sockets, coloring his cheekbones blue. 

Sans barely made it a step before Blue’s eyes flew open, locking onto Fell. Then, suddenly, he lurched forward, body following the brightly glowing stream of bright blue magic that was arrowing out of him, straight into Fell’s chest. 

As Blue fell to his knees, the monitor beeped again, level climbing all too suddenly as Stretch whipped around, locking eyes with his brother as Blue clutched at his chest, mouth hanging open in something akin to a silent scream. Sans came to an abrupt stop, staring down at his alternate in horror as Stretch swore loudly, letting go of Fell’s hand to drop to the ground in front of his brother.

“No,  _ no _ , Sans, what did you--”

Blue tried to force a smile, body shaking in agony as he reached up with one hand, stilling Stretch’s shaking fingers. “It’s...okay. It’s okay. I-I’m not...it was me, anyway. C-corbel…” he choked, and Stretch sobbed as a layer of dust sifted onto the floor. Behind him, the monitor beeped again, and Red tore his eyes away from the scene to look down at his brother. 

Fell’s fingers twitched in his hands, and despite himself, his soul soared.

“Nonononono,  _ Sans _ , I can’t watch you--I don’t want you to--- _ w-why _ \--”

Blue tried to speak again, but he choked, instead squeezing Stretch’s hand as tightly as he could. Closing his eyes tightly, he forced a breath.

“I love you, Papy.”

His body locked up, another breath shuddering through his chest, and before any of them could move, he began to crumble into dust. Stretch cried out again, his other hand shooting out in an attempt to do anything,  _ anything _ , but all he succeeded in doing was grabbing ahold of the soft cloth of his brother’s bright blue scarf.

It was only seconds before nothing was left of Blue but a sandy pile of dust. 

~~~

Red had never understood how a silence could be described as deafening. It just didn’t make sense, that an absence of sound could be compared to being so loud. But as Stretch’s cry of distress and grief faded into stunned silence, he found himself understanding. The room was so quiet. It was way too quiet, everyone who was awake and able to do so staring down at the dust in abject horror. The pure absence of sound when it seemed so much like there should be  _ something _ to listen to was beating down on him, making him want to be anywhere but here. Only the twitching of Fell’s hands in his kept him in place, staring down at the remains of his friend as a million memories flashed through his head, denials and deliberations and every possible attempt to find any sort of reasoning for what had just happened rushing through his mind.

Then, all at once, the silence was broken, Sans’ tear-filled voice cutting through the air as he swore loudly before turning to the door, shortcutting between one step and next and leaving Red and Stretch alone in the room.

Red didn’t really have it in him to even be confused at that turn of events, turning his gaze instead to focus on Stretch’s empty face. The silence was beginning to get to him again, the look in the other’s eyes reminding him of far too many times back in his own world.  _ How many times? _ He wondered.  _ How many times has Stretch held Blue’s scarf to his chest, that exact look on his face? _

He shook his head violently, ridding himself of the question. He knew all too well that it didn’t matter how many times.

Fell’s hand tightened again, and Red looking down again just in time to see his brows come together and his mouth open the barest inch before closing again. 

“I-I think he’s waking up,” he heard himself say, and he felt more than saw Stretch turn to look at him. There was a split second of hesitation, then he was standing, crossing the room silently to return to his seat. 

They didn’t say anything for a long moment, then Stretch reached out with the hand that wasn’t clutched into the cloth of Blue’s scarf to trace along the side of his husband’s face.

“R-red?”

He looked up, meeting Stretch’s gaze. He was glad to see that his eyes were a little less empty, still filled with tears, but with the smallest amount of hope filling in around the edges. 

“Is he--”

Stretch was cut off by the sound of a loud voice from the hallway, the fury that colored it making them both flinch and turn to the door. 

“I DON’T GIVE A  _ FUCK _ , SANS! LET ME THROUGH!”

Red tensed as he recognized the voice’s owner, fear flashing through him as he realized that Sans was trying to stop Razz before he came into the room and saw what was left of his soulmate. 

“Razz, please, he wouldn’t want you to--”

“AND HOW THE FUCK WOULD YOU KNOW WHAT HE WOULD WANT? MOVE ASIDE BEFORE I MOVE YOU MYSELF!”

“I might not have known him as well as you did, but even I know how he would feel about you hurting someone because you don’t have control of yourself!”

There was a moment of silence, and Red rose halfway out of his seat. He didn’t give a fuck about what Blue would have thought about it, if Razz laid a  _ hand _ on Sans--”

“Fine. Fine, there. Now move aside before I fucking make you.”

Razz’s voice was calmed, and a magical charge that Red hadn’t even realized was in the air faded away. Sans murmured something unintelligible, then footsteps approached quickly, throwing open the door before entering the room. 

Razz was outlined in the doorway, chest still heaving as though he’d sprinted up a flight of stairs. He took a step forward, looking around quickly before coming to a complete stop, eyes locked on Stretch. Red followed his gaze, coming to rest on the blue cloth held protectively in his grip. 

The silence entered the room again, broken only by Fell’s breathing, increasing in tempo as his body absorbed the new magic in his system. Razz and Stretch seemed to be engaging in a silent staring match, the tension between them practically palpable. Red looked back at his alternate, catching sight of Sans in the doorway just behind him, tears in his eyes. 

Then Stretch’s chair creaked, and Red looked back to see that he was pushing himself up to stand, scarf still clutched in his fist. Carefully, he walked around the bed, crossing the room to stand directly in front of Razz. They just looked at each other for a long moment, during which Red began to wonder if one or the other was going to attack. 

Then Stretch’s arm moved suddenly, and Red braced himself, wincing as Razz’s magic flared up, then...stopped. 

Stretch was holding out Blue’s scarf, eyes still locked on Razz’s even as his hands were shaking. Silently, Razz broke the stare, gaze dropping to the blue cloth and staring at it as though he barely knew what it was. Then, as carefully as if he were holding a newborn baby, he reached out, gathering the scarf in his hands and holding it to his chest. 

Without a single word, Stretch turned, going back to his seat and taking ahold of his husbands hand as silent tears began to stream down his face.

Razz stared down at the scarf blankly, gripping it as though he was afraid it was going to be ripped away. Red glanced at Sans, unsurprised to see tears running down to stain his cheeks as well. Sans seemed to realize he was being watched, and met the stare, giving him a look that Red wasn’t quite sure how to categorize. Then, carefully, he reached up, laying a hand supportively on Razz’s shoulder. 

The reaction was immediate. Razz spun around, letting go of the scarf with one hand to catch Sans around the throat, slamming him into the doorframe as his eye lit up with his deep purple magic. Red was up and out of his seat before Razz could do anything else at all, a blaster conjured and pointed at his alternate before he had a conscious thought to summon it.

There was a second, just a split second, where Red thought that he might do it anyway, that he might increase the pressure or summon his magic, and Sans would be nothing but dust, and he felt his soul constrict with fear.

Then Sans was on the floor, gasping desperately for breath, and Razz’s magic had faded into the background, his arm dropped to his side. Red watched him warily as he crossed the room to Sans’ side, keeping his blaster ready. 

“I’m sorry.”

Red jumped in response to the choked voice, freezing in the motions of helping Sans stand to stare at Razz in shock. Razz glanced at him, then returned his gaze to Sans. “I...I don’t know how to….” 

Then he clamped his mouth shut, eyes dropping before he spun on his heel, shutting the door quietly behind him as he left the room. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alternate ending for this chapter [here](https://crushingonsans.tumblr.com/post/165697239249/string-theory-alt-ending-ollie-oxen-free-wrote)!


	23. What does sad even feel like?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's 1am why do I keep doing this to myself
> 
> [Song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5-xVwxqjNyI) of the chapter (by the way, for extra tears, watch this music video. It made me cry pretty badly)

As soon as Razz was gone, Red let his blaster sputter into nothing, dropping to his knees beside Sans and reaching towards him. He had to be aching from that hit; Red could already see the blue bruises forming along his cervical vertebrae, but as soon as his fingers met the other’s scapula, he was being waved away.

Sans sat up, coughing lightly. When he reached up to massage the marked bone, he winced; almost immediately snatching his fingers away, but he still continued to shake his head, pushing Red’s hands away. “Don’t...don’t worry about it…” Sans said, waving him off. “I-I’m fine. I’m fine. He didn’t h-hurt me.”

Red hovered for a moment longer, arms itching to reach out and wrap around the other, but Sans was already pushing himself to his feet. There were tears in his eyes, and Red felt anger start to blossom in his soul until he realized he had no idea if they were tears of pain or of grief. 

He stood, watching silently as Sans rifled through his pockets, coming up with a small glass container that Red recognized immediately. It was the one he had handed to the other this morning, doing his best not to burst into sobs, and that Sans had taken and pocketed without a single word, taking his hand and bringing them straight here. 

Sans started for the other side of the bed, then paused, glancing towards Red with a question in his eyelights. Red nodded without hesitation. There was nothing special about the container, no special memories attached to it. It had merely been transportation, not...storage. Sans shot him a grateful look, then crossed the room, rounding the bed and kneeling to disappear behind it.

Stretch looked down at what he was doing, eyes filling with new tears and one hand twitching as though he was about to join him. 

“...Sans?” Red jumped about a foot in the air, spinning around to face the head of the bed and nearly breaking into relieved sobs at the sight of red eyelights, peering at him through a half-lidded gaze. “Why are you…” Fell’s brow furrowed, and he took a deep breath, seeming to be getting used to the sensation. “Why are we in the hospital?”

Red did his best not to rush to his brother’s side, coming up to sit in his previously vacated chair and forcing a grin onto his face. “Well, sleeping beauty, we just thought you needed a particularly restful sleeping place.”

Fell gave him his best glare, frowning mock-disapprovingly. “Well, then, count me impressed that you picked the  _ hospital _ . I suppose you’re to blame?”

Winking, he shot back, “You know me. Always gonna pick those really  _ sick _ places for my little bro to rest his head.” He did his best impression of a gang sign of some kind or another, forcing another smile across his face. 

Fell rolled his eyes, opening his mouth for a retort when Stretch spoke up, not even attempting a smile, but managing a wink at Red as he said, “ _ Coma _ on, Red, you can do better than that.”

Groaning, Fell turned to look at his husband, suppressing a smile badly. “I should have know you would be here, too.”

Red frowned, glancing down at where Fell’s hand was joined with his husband’s. Couldn't he feel...?

“Well, of course. I guess it’s because I l-love you o-or s-s-someth--”

Stretch had started to sob, picking up Fell’s hand and bringing it to his mouth, pressing a kiss to the weathered knuckles. He choked on a laugh at the expression on the other’s face, some mixture of concern and confusion that shouldn’t have been funny but still was, somehow. “G-god  _ damn _ it, Fell, d-don’t you _ e-e-ever _ …”

He broke down again, clutching onto the other’s hand like it was the only thing holding him to reality. Fell was getting a funny look on his face, his fingers twitching as he furrowed his brow slightly. Then he focused back on his husband’s face, confusion replaced entirely with concern as he attempted to sit up. Red reached out to help him, propping up a few pillows. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Sans straighten up slowly, tucking something into his jacket pocket reverently. 

Fell was distracted, leaning towards Stretch and murmuring softly. 

Red felt Sans come up behind him, leaning down to mutter into his ear. “I’m going to find Razz. I don’t think he should be alone right now.” Red immediately turned to protest, but Sans shook his head. “I can handle myself. It’ll be fine. Come home when you’re done, I’ll go there when I’m finished.”

Red studied him for a long moment, then, finally, nodded, turning his attention back to his brother as Sans left, closing the door quietly behind him . 

“... _ six weeks _ ,” Stretch was saying, his tears having slowed to a silent trickle. “A-and then...you were…” he took a deep breath, reaching up to rub under his sockets. “You were on your  _ deathbed _ . It was...well...we all thought you were going to die.”

Red could see him retreating inside himself, and he knew his brother saw it too. Fell opened his mouth, about to pursue the subject, when his eyes caught on the other’s middle and he just completely  _ froze _ . 

The other two stared at him in concern for a few moments, then Red reached out, laying a hand on his brother’s shoulder and saying his name. Fell jerked, barely sparing him a glance before his horrified gaze was locked on his husband’s. “Wh-what happened to…”

Stretch immediately let out a deep breath, ending with a bark of relieved laughter. “It’s okay! It’s okay, I just didn’t want to...I mean, you were going to dust, and that’s really not something a child should have to see, no matter how young they are--”

“ _ What?! _ ”

Fell’s eyelights lit up with joy as quickly as they had been filled with despair just a moment before. His whole posture seemed to straighten, arms twitching as though he wanted to wrap the other up in an embrace. 

Stretch smiled at him softly. “His name’s Corbel, and he’s  _ beautiful _ .” He grinned and nodded at Red. “He can sure tell you, I think Red’s taken a liking to him.”

A mega-watt smile on his face, Fell turned to include his brother in his smile. “I...I’m a  _ father _ ! Ha!” His sudden laughter was more unexpected than it probably should have been, and Red jumped before grinning back, shooting the other a wink. Fell continued, turning back to Stretch with his grin still in place. “Can I see him? Is he outside with Blue or are they keeping him at...home?”

Fell had always been observant. It was something necessitated by the world they had lived in and the role he had played in it. So when Stretch’s eyelights dimmed to specks and Red seemed to sink into his seat at the mention of Blue’s name, of course he was going to pick up on it. 

“He’s...he’s at Alphys and Undyne’s,” Red answered quietly, straightening up the best he could and forcing a smile onto his face. God, Fell had  _ just _ woken up. He...he didn’t need to know, not yet. 

Fell was still regarding them carefully, but he let the matter go, arm twitching again as he turned his attention back to Stretch. “What’s his Primary?”

As Stretch’s managed a smile, answering the question, Red looked down at his brother’s arms. They kept twitching, starting in the direction of Stretch and being stopped before they could ever really get started. 

Red was reminded, suddenly, of a conversation with the doctor during a time he’d been barely listening. Sans had been talking to the man, and he’d said something about…

Eyes widening, Red reached out, taking hold of the arm closest to him and, as gently as he could, pressed the ends of his sharpened phalanges into the bone. 

Nothing.

At the very least, that should have earned him a smack. 

“Boss?”

Fell jumped at the name, turning back to him in surprise and opening his mouth to speak until he saw what Red was doing, and his mouth shut with a snap. 

“Can you move your arms?”

He looked, for a moment, as though he might deny it, then he sighed, shaking his head lightly. “No. And I can’t feel anything in them, either, but you should still get your fucking claws out of my radius.”

Chagrined, he removed his grip, frowning up at his brother. Fell glanced between the two of them, then sighed loudly. “Stop looking at me like that. I’m...disabled. Not dead.”

There was a long moment of silence, Red glancing up at Stretch and surprised to see a flash of guilt run through his eyelights. Then it was gone, and he was smiling sadly. 

“I don’t care if you can move your arms, Fell. I’ll take that over... _ losing you _ …” he shook his head softly, then leaned forward, pressing a kiss to the side of Fell’s head. “No matter what, right?”

Fell smiled at him, then at his brother, wishing for a moment that he could hug them. “No matter what. I suppose it is somewhat of a miracle, isn’t it?”

~~~

It didn’t take Sans long to find Razz. 

In fact, upon leaving the room, he just about tripped over him. 

He was sitting, too silently, just outside the door, back to the wall, Blue’s scarf clutched in his hands as he stared into nothing. Sans took a deep breath, gathering himself, before stepping over the other and joining him on his other side. He very carefully did not touch him, instead reaching his pocket and brushing his fingers over the glass jar before thinking better of it and withdrawing his hand.

“Razz?”

The other jumped violently, apparently entirely unaware that he was there, but Sans was glad to see that his magic hadn’t flared in aggression. Razz just stared at him for a moment, eyelights considering before he relaxed back into his earlier position and allowed his hands, still holding the scarf, to drop down into his lap. “I’m sorry.”

“About what?”

“Hurting you.” The apology was delivered blankly, mechanically.

Sans breathed in deeply, then let it out in a rush. “You didn’t hurt me. We were...we’re all hurting. I g--well. I don’t get it. But...I know you’re hurting more than the rest of us.”

Razz just nodded, faintly, and they dropped back into a semi-peaceful silence. Sans just sat quietly, offering his support in the only way he could.

“How did you do it?”

Razz’s words were so quiet, Sans almost missed them, and he gave the other a sideways glance. “Do what?”

“How did you...when he left you, how did you get over it? How did you feel okay again?”

Sans did his best not to flinch, fiddling with the hem of his jacket as he considered the question. “It doesn’t compare. Not at all. We’d barely...he never really…” he sighed, leaning his head back against the wall. “Blue’s always been yours.”

“But how did you do it?” Razz was looking at him, he realized, his eyelights still dim, but determined. “I...I have no  _ clue _ how to do this. How to...how to feel about this. How  _ am _ I supposed to feel about this?”

Sans turned to face him, made eye contact. He could almost feel the other’s brokenness through the turmoil in his eyelights, and it made him want to look away. 

“What happened between Blue and I...well, it doesn’t compare. I wanted him to be happy, and he always was, with you. And, well...as for feelings? You’re supposed to feel...well, sad. And then you just...you let yourself _ be  _ sad, and you give yourself time, and you try not to get too caught up in memories even when it feels like that might be all you have left.”

Razz looked away first, letting his back fall against the wall again. “I don’t...I don’t know if I remember  _ sad _ .”

And how was Sans supposed to respond to that? He opened his mouth, searching for  _ something _ , and finding nothing. So he closed it again, slumping back and drawing his knees up to his chest. 

“Sans?”

He looked up to find Razz looking at him again, but not into his face. He was watching somewhere in the vicinity of his shoulder, face blank. 

“Yeah?”

“Will you…” he paused, one hand drifting up to press against his chest as he winced in pain. Sans was reminded, very suddenly, that a lesser monster than Razz would be dead now, or hopelessly lost. As much as they might humor his narcissism sometimes, he truly had to be the strongest monster Sans had ever met, and not just because of some LV. 

“Will you help me get home? Just...take me straight to the back room? I don’t want to...Blue decorated most of the apartment and I just...I don’t want to walk through--”

“Do you want to come stay with Red and I?”

The question was out of him before he’d really had a chance to think about it, but even after it fully hit him, he didn’t really want to take it back. He knew firsthand how much influence Blue had over a space he lived in, and their apartment would be like walking into a reminder that he was never coming back. 

He wondered, for a moment, if Blue had really thought about that before he...well, before he left Razz with no one at all. A surge of anger passed through him, but he clamped it down, sighing slightly. He knew very well that Blue didn’t think before he acted.

Razz was looking at him disbelievingly, but Sans could see the pain in his eyes growing. Whatever suppression he had been using on the physical pain was probably starting to fade. 

“Isn’t it Red’s house, too?”

Sans shrugged. “It’s in my name, technically. But he won’t mind, anyway.” 

He studied him, wincing again and straightening in an absentminded show of pain. “Then that would be...adequate.”

Sans tried to snort in amusement at the other’s wording, but it didn’t come out quite right, so he just reached for the other’s shoulder, hesitating a moment before actually making contact and looking up for permission. Razz nodded, moving his arm so that it bumped into his palm. Sans took a careful hold on him before pulling them into the void, appearing in his own living room. 

He winced at the mess of tissues on the coffee table, but Razz didn’t seem to notice, supporting himself with one arm against the table in the entryway. He had his eyes squeezed tightly shut, one hand pressed against his chest and the other gripping tightly to the blue scarf. Apparently despite himself, he let out a small whimper of pain, then quickly clenched his teeth, breathing slowly and deeply until he was standing somewhat straight. 

“You can stay in my room, if you’d like. It’s upstairs, second door on the left. The room with the yellow and blue quilt, not the one with the black comforter,” Sans said softly, doing his best to let the other keep his dignity. 

Razz nodded stiffly, then paused, his fingers rubbing through the silky material of Blue’s scarf. Then, with a well-practiced motion, he reached behind his head with his free hand, untying the knot in his own neckerchief and pulling it from around his neck. He tossed it uncaringly onto the table he had been supporting himself on earlier, then, much more carefully, he straightened Blue’s scarf, tying it in place of his old one efficiently, smoothing the ends as he closed his eyes again, breath hitching in a manner dangerously close to a sob. 

Sans stood quietly, not wanting to disturb or embarrass the other. After a moment, Razz straightened, taking a deep breath before crossing the room and jogging up the stairs. Sans could see him wiping at his eyes, and he wasn’t entirely sure what to feel about the fact that he seemed to have remembered what sad felt like. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Amazing art done by Ganz [here!](https://nsfwsinningsans.tumblr.com/post/164589112825/cover-page-of-string-theory-written-by)


	24. I mean, Niall is adorable and Rock Me is a great song

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I definitely don't own both Up All Night and Take Me Home, shut up
> 
> Warnings for depression and a brief mention of self-harm, and the glorification of both, as well as some "I don't care if I die" suicidal ideation.   
> [Song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LtZ6XtieMak) of the chapter.

Fell didn’t dream often. Usually, his sleep was occupied by peaceful darkness or, at the most, shifting colors and vague noises. It wasn’t much of a surprise that he didn’t remember having any dreams during his coma. Although, now that he thought about it, he wasn’t entirely sure dreams were even possible for a coma. He’d have to ask Sans. 

As he felt himself being shaken awake now, though, he could feel the last vestiges of a dream slipping through his fingers, disappearing from memory as though he’d never had it in the first place. He subconsciously reached for it, but it already gone, and his eyes were blinking open, wincing at the light. 

“Where…”

That was his voice, wasn’t it? Ugh, he was always so...scatterbrained when he had just woken up. He turned his head, squinting until he could make out the vague shape of another skeleton in a bright orange hoodie. 

“Stretch?”

“Hey, there, sleeping beauty.”

Fell smiled, relaxing into the hospital bed. He was still scattered, but no amount of confusion would ever be able to convince him that he wasn’t safe around his husband. He felt a hand alight on his skull, and his smile widened. 

“I’m not sleeping beauty,” he ventured. “I’m clearly Mulan.”

Stretch snorted as he pulled up a chair, and Fell suddenly remembered his earlier question. It’d immediately followed those last seconds of sleep, lingering in his conscious mind with a sort of confused urgency, as though it was important, but he had no idea why.

“Where’s Razz?”

His vision had finally cleared enough that he could make out the odd look Stretch was giving him, confusion quickly followed by sadness and understanding. Before he could ask why, Stretch was talking, shifting something in his arms as he spoke. “I’m not completely sure. I think Sans went to talk to him, and after you fell asleep, Red went to check on him. I haven’t really left the room, except to go pick up the most important  _ delivery _ of my life from Alphys.”

He was making that stupid face. The one he always made when he’d said a pun. Fell  _ really _ didn’t want to know, but his mind searched out the answer anyway. Puns were a sort of verbal puzzle, after all, and it tended to bother him when he didn’t catch one. Not that he would  _ ever _ admit that.

Despite himself, he caught it. Then he processed it.

Then he was flying up to sit, staring at the bundle in Stretch’s arms that he’d barely taken notice of before. “Is that--”

He scooted his chair closer, extending his arms so that Fell could see him better. He looked down, taking in the sight of that tiny little face, so similar to how his own used to look, and felt tears gathering in his sockets. He was fast asleep, eyes closed and wrapped in a red blanket Fell remembered from one of their shopping escapades. His arms twitched, desperately wanting to gather up his child and hold him close, protect him until the day he dusted.  

“Here,” Stretch murmured, standing carefully. Fell glanced up to see tears in his eyes as well, and he couldn’t help the smile on his face. “Lay down.”

They had a  _ child _ . 

He could feel his smile getting a little goofy as he obeyed, laying back as carefully as he could without his hands to support him. Stretch leaned forward, propping one knee on the edge of the mattress to gently lay Corbel on Fell’s ribcage. He kept his hand on the infant’s back as he let go of him, wary of letting him fall, then seemed to realize that wouldn’t work. Quickly, smiling at the way Fell’s gaze had immediately locked on Corbel’s, he climbed onto the bed, settling his head next to Fell’s and wrapping one arm carefully around their baby. 

“He’s so perfect…”

Fell’s voice was nearly a sob, shifting his gaze to look at his husband. His arms twitched again, wishing he could hold them both, wishing he could never let go. Stretch didn’t say anything, just nudging forward one leg so that it was tangled between Fell’s, tucking his head into his shoulder and holding tightly to Corbel. 

“Fell?”

“Yes?”

Stretch was whispering now, love and joy and grief apparent in the tone. “I’m so glad that he’s going to be able to know you. I-I’m  _ so glad _ .”

There were a few seconds of silence, filled only with their quiet breathing and the beeping of one of the monitors. 

“I love you so much.”

~~~

The moment the door closed behind him, Razz dropped to his knees. He could feel his chest jumping, breaths heaving as though each one was his last, and tears squeezing out of his sockets to stream down his face. He clutched the scarf that was now tied around his neck, pressing it to his face as he sobbed. His purple-stained tears soaked into the fabric, dyeing it into a splotchy mess. 

He couldn’t bring himself to care, curled in on himself on the scratchy carpet as his soul’s burning only grew worse with each passing moment. 

Razz had been hurt so many times, stabbed and hit and broken, but  _ nothing _ had ever even come close to equaling this. Pain was arcing through his whole body, stabbing at his joints and flooding through his head. His soul throbbed and burned as though it was moments from turning to dust. 

God, none of this had felt real until he walked into that room and saw Stretch, holding this piece of cloth as though it was the only thing left of--

His breath caught, and he sobbed again, turning so that he could collapse to the floor. It  _ hurt _ . God, it hurt. Even if he’d known it was going to happen, he would have expected the emotions, the inner hurt and betrayal and loneliness, but he never would have expected so much physical pain. In some back corner of his mind, he realized that it made sense. With how closely they had been bonded, a significant portion of magic was now gone. Magic that had belonged to Blue, given to him freely--

Razz gasped as his soul gave another lurch, curling in even tighter. How was he supposed to do  _ anything _ ? How was he supposed to just...get up, carry on, keep living? What was his life without Blue? He...he hadn’t had anything, anyone who  _ mattered _ outside of Blue for three years. No, longer than that. It’d been a decade and a half since he had anyone else. 

Why was he even trying?

The question hit him like a physical blow, adrenaline spiking through him and emotions flaring against the pain. He could feel his LV trying to react to a potential danger, and if he hadn’t still been crying, he would have laughed. His… “superpower”...his “protection”...it was trying to defend him against  _ himself _ . 

Then again, how often had a monster with as much LV as him ever even had a soul bond to even  _ get _ broken? What precedent was there for this? There wasn’t one. He didn’t really need one, though...did he? 

It would be so easy.

Even now, with his LV spiking, with the stubbornness born of living for so long in a kill or be killed world flaring, he could feel how easy it would be, to just give up. He could let the burning in his soul spread, he could lay here and dust right into the carpet. He could let them mix his dust with Blue’s and spread it over something they loved. Why wouldn’t he? What reason did he have to fight?

_ Blue wouldn’t want you to give up, after all this time. _

Razz growled at the thought, pressing his face into the carpet as his body shuddered violently. What the hell did that matter? Razz wouldn’t have wanted Blue to sacrifice himself, to leave him alone, to  _ die _ , but he got no goddamn choice in the matter! Blue wasn’t  _ here _ . That was the whole goddamn point.

_ Papyrus. _

Pa-- _ Slim _ wouldn’t give a fuck. Slim wouldn’t even come for the funeral, would he? 

Razz didn’t blame him.

_ Dust is probably really hard to get out of the carpet _ . 

He snorted aloud, not even noticing as his body started to relax, settling into the floor. His soul was growing numb, his fingers tingling. Vaguely, he wondered if he was about to die. 

Those two idiots probably wouldn’t have any clue how to get dust out of a carpet, would they?

_ One Direction might get back together. _

He didn’t even like One Direction.

_ Liar.  _

He sighed, resisting the urge to tell himself to fuck off. Another burst of pain, another half-dry sob wrenched from the back of his throat. His fingers were trembling, like Stretch’s used to when he was trying to quit smoking. 

_ Blue. _

Blue.

Razz wasn’t really...he wasn’t angry. He wasn’t angry at Blue for leaving him. He got it. He really did. Fell had a son, and a husband who needed him to help raise their child. He had a brother who had raised him, friends who liked him. Blue had Stretch, but Stretch had Fell now. He’d be okay. 

And Razz would...he would…

Well, he would have to persevere, wouldn’t he? The muted glow of his soul was impossible to see through his shirt, but he dropped one hand to the place where it hung anyway. 

“Sans, are you fucking  _ kidding _ me?!”

His eyes flicked to the door, Red’s voice echoing up the stairs and into the room. Shakily, he sat up, preparing for a confrontation. For once in his life, he didn’t  _ feel _ dangerous. His soul was still burning, his body was still throbbing, his mind was in turmoil. If Red dusted him, fine. 

But he wasn’t going to just...give up. 

“It’s okay.” Sans’ voice was quieter, hard to hear through the closed door. His voice sounded like Blue’s used to when he’d been crying. “He just...needs someone there to care about him.”

“Sans, he hurt you! He’s dangerous, with 11 LV and he’s gotta be goin crazy--”

“ _ Exactly _ .”

Razz couldn’t help but agree, but as Red’s voice quieted, he dragged himself to his feet, stumbling to the bed and collapsing forward. He dragged his legs up next to him, closing his eyes and clenching his teeth. 

He wasn’t going to give up.

~~~

When Stretch was a teenager, he’d been convinced he was depressed. 

It was more of a half-baked excuse for his lack of motivation, a little bit of a call for attention from an older brother who seemed to work and train more than sleep, let alone spend time with him. It wasn’t Blue’s fault, not at all. They were supporting themselves, and Stretch wasn’t even an adult, so there wasn’t a whole lot he could do to help, other than to hide the field trip forms and sports fee notices deep in the bottom of his backpack where Blue would never find them and have to feel guilty about them. 

He’d been lonely, sure, with a couple friends here and there but no one that came anywhere close to comparing to his often-absent brother. He couldn’t be bothered to do his homework, and found himself tempted, once in a while, to find out what all this self harm business was about. So when he sat Blue down one day and told him that he had depression, he’d thought he meant it. 

Blue had just looked at him for a moment with that guilty look in his eyes, gathered him up for a hug and told him that he was sorry, that he was never alone and that even though they couldn’t afford therapy or anything close, he would do whatever he could to be there, to listen. 

Things didn’t really change, but Stretch did feel a bit better. He thought it was because his self-diagnosed depression was “cured”, since now he had someone he could talk to if he needed it. But, really, he had just been a self-centered teenager with no idea of how serious the issues he pretended to have actually  _ were _ . 

Then he grew up. 

Then the resets started. 

And he was forced to realize exactly how  _ wrong _ he had been. He was forced to realize exactly what it meant, to be depressed, to not have to motivation to leave his bed, let alone work or interact or play along with that stupid fucking kid. 

By the time they made it to the surface, he was barely functional. He hardly ate, something that wasn’t difficult when Blue had seemed to be making it a point never to have food around. He would lay in his room, trying to sleep, always failing, terrified to leave in case he looked around and it had all started over,  _ again _ . 

He remembered, once, Blue coming into his room, trying to get him to get up, and he had just started  _ crying _ . He still, to this day, couldn’t remember it, but later he had been told that dust was sifting off of him, coating his sheets and dimming his soul. 

They were better off then, Blue’s job in the royal guard providing more income with less hours, and this time, they could afford the therapy. Stretch hated it, but he went for his brother. He hated that look in his eyes far more than the therapy, like he was terrified and devastated all at the same time. 

Despite himself, he did start to improve. He started sleeping when he was supposed to, coming down and eating the meals that Blue would make for them both and choke down as an example. His soul brightened and his bones whitened and while he wasn’t  _ happy _ , necessarily, he didn’t feel quite so broken. 

The first real spark of motivation he’d had in years was when he wandered down to the basement one day and saw that Blue had had their machine moved up to the surface. And, fuck, science had always been more dad’s thing, but…

Well, Stretch kind of felt like maybe, if he fixed it, he’d feel like he wasn’t quite so useless. 

He squeezed his eyes shut, feeling the rise and fall of Fell’s breathing as he looked at their son. He knew he was crying. They were both crying. The worst part of it, though, was that Stretch had no idea if he was happy or sad. 

The sight of Fell,  _ alive _ , was filling him with relief, with love and joy and happiness. They look on his face when he’d seen Corbel was something that made him want to hold them both tightly and never let go. 

But it just...it kept clashing with the memory of his brother turning to dust, crumbling to the floor while he could do nothing at all to stop it. 

He squeezed his eyes tighter closed, feeling Corbel move ever so slightly under his arm. 

“Fell?”

“Yes?” His voice was rumbly with tears, hitching in the middle. 

“I’m so glad that he’s going to be able to know you. I-I’m  _ so glad _ .” His voice was only a whisper, and he could feel the grief and the sadness clashing with the relief and the happiness inside of his soul. He meant it. He really, really did. And that’s what made it so awful, somehow. Something inside of him was actually  _ happy _ that his brother was dead, and he had no idea how to even begin to hate himself for it. 

“I love you so much.”

His voice was a sob, now, and he felt Fell turn his head, clanking a kiss onto his forehead before pausing, seeming to be searching for words. 

“Something is wrong.”

Stretch’s breath caught on something that easily could have been either a sob or a laugh. He was tempted, for a moment, to pretend that nothing had happened, that it had only been a miracle that brought his husband back to him. 

But he just...couldn’t. He couldn’t erase Blue’s sacrifice, and he couldn’t lie to the father of his child. 

“Yes.”

“Did something happen while I was dying?”

Yes. Blue died. Blue killed himself for me and you and our child, and I couldn’t do anything to stop it. 

“I mean, yeah. I had a baby and stuff.”

“Stretch.”

He snapped his mouth shut, his eyes filling with new tears. He couldn’t look at his face. He couldn’t look up and see those red eyelights peering directly into his thoughts. There was a long moment of silence, Fell’s arms twitching again as he seemed to be searching for words. 

“Something is wrong with Blue.”

Fell had always been far more perceptive than he had any right to be.

“Yes.”

“What happened?”

His voice was quiet, worried and curious. Stretch could feel his soul tightening, and his voice came out broken.

“He died.”

Fell went completely still, his entire body stiffening against his. “ _ What?! _ ”

Stretch couldn’t hold back a sob, burying his face into the cloth of Fell’s hospital gown. “Y-you were...you were  _ dying _ . They’d tried the only thing they c-could and it f-failed, and B-blue, h-h-he…”

“No…” The raspy whisper made him look up, finally, meeting Fell’s tear-filled eyes with his own. “No! H-he…” Fell was shaking his head slowly, mouth opening and closing as he searched for words. “I-I...I didn’t even  _ like _ him! And he...he  _ knew _ that! Why would he...Stretch, please tell me he didn’t...he didn’t  _ swap _ w-with--” He cut himself off with a strangled gasp of breath as Stretch merely nodded, unable to find any words in reaction to this.

Fell let his head fall back on the pillow, staring up at the ceiling for a long moment, and Stretch wiped at his eyes, glancing down to look at the babybones curled up on Fell’s chest. 

“He just...he  _ left _ Razz?” he finally asked, and Stretch did his best to keep his face from hardening. 

“Yes. And he left me, and he left Sans, and he left all of us. But, Fell…” he looked up, tightening his hold on their child. “Fell, he...one of his last words was Corbel’s name. He...he gave us the best thing he could, and he gave our child back his father. That’s…” He wasn’t sure if he was talking to Fell or himself at this point, “That’s the best thing he could have done, right? He...he just….”

Fell was staring down at him, guilt and sadness and confused grief shining through his eyelights. Then he opened his mouth, and Stretch braced himself for the judgement, for the anger that should come his way for justifying his happiness in the face of his brother’s death.

“Stretch, it’s not your fault. It never will be.”

His eyes flew wide, staring at Fell in surprise.

“You don’t have to feel like you caused any part of this. You don’t have to feel as though you’re betraying your brother by being happy.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _"He hardly ate, something that wasn’t difficult when Blue had seemed to be making it a point never to have food around."_ [Why](http://archiveofourown.org/works/8585845/chapters/23996241).


	25. I Really Don't Think That's A Staple Food For An Infant

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [Song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ZX1z0laHcs) of the chapter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I straight-up stole a line from [Ollie](http://archiveofourown.org/users/ollie_oxen_free/pseuds/ollie_oxen_free)  
> So here goes  
> u guys kno ollie? that fucking dick who thinks theyre funnier than they actually r? this was their fucking idea like can u believe how goddamned stupid they r lmfao  
> (if you don't understand this joke go [here](http://archiveofourown.org/works/10560830/chapters/25140615))
> 
> Thank you so much for the thousandth time to Fresh and Ollie for helping with this?? I never would have gotten this done if not for you two.

_ “Sans?” _

_ He looked up at the sound of Papyrus’ voice, brows coming together at the concern in his expression. “Yeah, bro?” _

_ Papyrus fidgeted for a moment before sighing, leaning back against the counter and folding his arms. It was getting rare to see him without Slim these days, with how panicky the shorter had gotten since… _

_ “What do you think of Razz?” _

_ Sans narrowed his eyes before his expression relaxed back into a lazy smile. “What do you mean, Paps? That’s a bit of a general question.” _

_ “I just...do you think Blue is right? That he won’t hurt anyone?” _

_ Sans sighed, turning his attention back to the sandwich in his hands. It was just a cold cheese sandwich instead of grilled cheese like Papyrus would make him, and he’d been too lazy to make tomato soup, opting instead to just grab a bottle of ketchup and occasionally sip right from the spout. It was a poor imitation of his favorite meal, but it was far too much effort to actually make it.  _

_ “I think we’re gonna need to keep a close eye on him.” _

Sans’ hand dropped back to his side as he sighed, staring at the worn wood of his bedroom door as though it held the secrets of the universe. There wasn’t a sound on the other side, signalling that Razz was either asleep or was pretending to be. Likely the latter. 

The first night he’d been here, Sans and Red had been awakened by hoarse screams from the next room. Before Red had been able to stop him, Sans had shortcutted into the room, ducking in case he was about to get creamed by a blaster before turning to the smaller skeleton. Razz had been soaked in sweat, magic coming off of him in waves of purple flame, face contorted into an expression of pure terror. 

Sans had quickly shaken him awake, ducking out of the way for real this time as Razz immediately swung at him with a sharpened bone, eye flaring up with magic and breath coming in a series of strangled gasps before he seemed to realize what was happening. Sans had just stared up at him, taking in the emptiness of his sockets and the dust that was covering his shoulders, sifted from the blue scarf he was still wearing around his neck. 

After a moment of just looking at one another, Razz’s attack had dissolved, and he’d slumped back, eyes dropping and head turning away before murmuring a quiet thank you. Sans hadn’t known what to do, sitting there unmoving for a moment before shortcutting away, grabbing a water bottle from the kitchen before returning, quietly setting it on the nightstand before disappearing back to Red’s room. 

He clenched and unclenched his fists by his side for a moment, considering. Razz was...well, he was clearly falling apart. He had come out of the room a few times to eat and to exchange nods, but it had taken a visual toll on him, and he had always retreated back into his isolation soon after. 

Even Red’s concerns had mostly faded out, unable to claim that Sans was in danger when Razz didn’t even seem to be able to handle eating breakfast with them. 

It was only the second day when they’d received a knock on the door, a human police officer who wanted to speak with those who had been involved in the “incident”. He’d asked to speak with Razz as well, but Sans had been quick to head him off, letting him know that not only had Razz not even been in the room, but was indisposed at the moment. 

He’d nodded understandingly, and Sans let him in, sitting at the table across from himself and Red, who seemed less than happy about this development. The first few questions had seemed fairly standard, asking them to describe their relationship with the “victim” and summarize the events as they remembered them. Then he’d cleared his throat, looking down at his little notebook before glancing back up, asking, “To the best of your knowledge, was Mr. Serif coerced or forced into this ‘soul swap’?”

Sans was distracted, for a moment, by the way the officer had said ‘soul swap’, as though it was a fantastical idea in the middle of a fairy tale. 

Then the rest of his question hit him.

He felt Red stiffen at his side, and he barely stopped his magic from flaring in anger. “Excuse me?” he had asked, narrowing his eyes. 

“Did someone in that room force Mr. Serif to perform--”

“A soul swap can’t be  _ forced _ .”

Sans barely recognized his own voice, dark and threatening as it was. He’d spoken like this before, he knew, on a beautiful day, with flowers blooming and birds singing. He’d spoken like this far too many times. But it had been such a long time ago that he’d nearly forgotten what this rage felt like.

“A soul swap isn’t just a...you don’t literally switch souls,” he continued, voice beginning to shake with the force of his anger. He could see Red looking at him out of the corner of his eye, his matching anger seeming to be slowly replaced with a strange combination of surprise and pride. “A monster projects every bit of magic inside of their own soul into another monster’s, the  _ full force _ of their intent focused on sacrificing themselves for the other. B-Blue had to  _ want _ Fell to survive, and he had to want it more than he himself wanted to live. He gave up his entire life force, every single piece of him that was contained inside of his soul. No one could force him to do that.”

The kitchen had gone quiet, then, the officer staring between the two of them with wide eyes. Then he’d cleared his throat, nodding quickly and jotting down Sans’ answer before moving onto the next question. 

Sans supposed, now, that they had been lucky that Razz had been unable to hear _ that _ question. 

He sighed again, glancing down the hall to where he knew Red was getting ready to go. The hospital had finally cleared Fell to head home, and they were apparently going to have dinner over at their place in celebration. 

He supposed his hesitation came from the fact that he was fairly certain what Razz was going to say in response to the invitation. He wasn’t exactly likely to want to come and see Fell after...but it couldn’t hurt to ask, right? He...Sans had promised Blue, after all, and despite the fact that his lack of thought was the reason that Razz was so entirely broken now, he should honor that promise. And, if he was being entirely honest, he was getting worried. He’d never really...Well, he certainly wasn’t Razz’s biggest fan, but that didn’t mean he enjoyed seeing him like this. He’d been so full of life  _ before _ . An asshole, sure, but…

Happy. 

Well, he supposed, there was really nothing else for it. He raised his hand, knocking solidly and waiting a moment before hearing a quiet voice from inside. He couldn’t understand the words, but he took the apathy of the tone to mean he could enter. 

Pushing open the door, he peeked inside, eyes widening in confusion at his nearly unrecognizable bedroom. Well. Apparently Razz had gotten tired of the mess. 

It didn’t take long to find the culprit, sitting wrapped in a fluffy blanket under the window. Razz looked back at him, nodding in greeting before returning his attention to the night sky. Sans watched him for a moment, taking in the powerful curve of his slumped shoulders, evident even through the blanket. It was getting harder and harder to remember the fear that he had inspired before...well. 

“Fell was released from the hospital,” he said quietly, silently willing Razz to react. When he didn’t, he continued, “Red and I were gonna head over there and have some dinner. Did you wanna…?”

Razz shook his head, looking back at him again. Sans could see his hand rising, fingers tangling into the scarf around his neck. “No thank you. I...uh...I’m not a big fan of lasagna.”

Sans grinned at him, doing his best not to let his sadness spoil it. “Penne for your thoughts.”

Shooting him a disgusted look, Razz mumbled under his breath.  Sans couldn’t hear all of it, only catching something along the lines of “...isn’t even penne in--”, but he grinned victoriously at the faint hint of a smile that was tugging at the other’s mouth.

“You sure you don’t want to come?”

Razz took a deep breath, glancing back at the window before looking back at him. “No...no, I’ll stay here. I think there’s still...probably some chips or something downstairs, right?”

“I think there are a few frozen meals too. We even have a functioning microwave and everything.”

He smiled again, but it was dryer this time, forced. Probably something that he’d been taught to do out of politeness and still happened as a habit. Sans tried to expel an image of Blue cheerfully teaching Razz how to smile, but it stuck in the back of his head as he looked at the other. He could practically hear the laughter, Blue’s expression melting from the stoic visage of a teacher into something altogether lighter, poking at Razz’s cheeks until he really had no other choice  _ but _ to smile. 

“Thank you, Sans.”

The imagined ‘memory’ bit at the image before him, and he fought tears that were suddenly pricking at his eyes. Instead, he just nodded. “No problem. Just make sure you eat something, yeah? We’ll be back in a few hours.”

Razz nodded, and he was quick to leave, shutting the door solidly behind him and leaning back against it, breathing deeply. It didn’t matter  _ how _ fucking selfish Blue had been, he still sometimes missed him so much his soul hurt. He couldn’t even begin to imagine the pain Razz must be in.

“Sans?”

He looked up, meeting Red’s eyes. When had he gotten there?

Red was looking at him with so much concern, eyes soft as he took him in. Sans sighed, reaching up to wipe at his eyes before turning his mouth up into a smile. “Ready to go?”

He looked like he wanted to say something, but he bit it back, stepping forward to wrap Sans up in a hug. Sans squeezed his eyes shut, pressing his face tightly into the other’s neck, willing himself to calm. It’d only been a week, he reminded himself. This was normal. This was completely normal. 

After a moment, he pulled back. He was sniffling, and Red reached out to brush away the tears that were gathered under his sockets. 

“It’s okay to be sad,” he murmured, seeming to read Sans’ mind. “It’s okay to be upset. You don’t have to hide it from me just because you don’t want to ruin my happiness or whatever.”

“I-I’m not--”

“Yes you are,” Red cut him off, still speaking quietly, not wanting to disturb the skeleton in the room right in front of him. “Sans...I  _ love _ you. And that means…” he dropped his hands, catching Sans’ and holding them tightly as he looked at him. Determination filled his expression as he shifted his jaw, seeming to be searching for the words to express what he wanted to say. “That means I want to be here for you. I want to help you, and even though I don’t  _ want _ you to be sad, I’ll just...I’ll be here when you are, okay?”

There was a long moment of silence, broken only by the ticking of the downstairs clock and the sound of Sans’ suppressing his tears. 

“I’m n-not the one who deserves to b-be  _ sad _ , Red. I d-don’t…”

“Of course you deserve to be sad!” he hissed, then quieted, eyes flickering with doubt. “We all deserve to be sad. We all lost someone, even if...even if we didn’t lose the person we were expecting to.”

Sans looked up at him, pulling away one hand to wipe away the tears still gathered under his eyes. “Even though you aren’t?”

“I’m not what?” Red asked quietly, brows furrowing. 

“You aren’t sad.”

His face cleared, and he sighed, using his free hand to rub at his own face. “I am sad, Sans. Just...not nearly as much as I am...relieved? He’s my brother, and I can’t really...I can’t help it.”

Sans stayed silent, gaze dropping to their joined hands as he thought about it. 

“Do you...want to stay here? You don’t have to come if you don’t--”

He shook his head quickly, looking back up and meeting Red’s eyes. “No! No, I’m...I want to come. It’s still...you deserve to be happy, Red. And so does Stretch. I don’t...I don’t fault you for that.” His voice broke on the last word, but he set his face determinedly, wiping his eyes one more time and taking a deep breath. “I want to go.”

Red was looking at him doubtfully, but he reached out, gripping onto his upper arm and raising a brow. Sans nodded, and Red pulled them into the void, coming out the other side right on the inside of Stretch and Fell’s front door.

“Hello?!” Red called, letting go of Sans’ arm but keeping hold of his hand, turning to face the inside of the house. 

“Come in!” Stretch’s head appeared around the corner, grinning widely. “Though I guess you are already technically in.”

Red shrugged, smirking. “One of the perks of being able to shortcut, right?”

Fell’s voice came from the living room, and Sans turned to see him sitting quite grumpily, glaring at them like it was their fault he’d been told to stay off his feet. “Don’t encourage him. He’s been shortcutting every five steps since he’s not pregnant anymore.”

Stretch winked at them, shortcutting across the room and showing them where to put their shoes, even though their shoes had already been kicked in that general direction. Then he shortcutted back to the kitchen, shouting over his shoulder over his husband’s muted grumbling. “I made dinner! And it doesn’t taste like Satan’s ass, for once!”

With a mock gasp, Red made to follow him into the kitchen, Sans trailing more slowly behind him. “I wonder what it could possibly be?! Spaghetti cake?!”

“Ah, yes. There nothing I love more than good old lasagna,” Stretch said, popping the “g”. Fell’s eye twitched from where he was still sitting on the couch, and he crossed his arms. 

Red snorted, peeking into the kitchen as Sans felt a grin growing across his face. Then there was an inordinately girly squeal, and Sans jumped, turning to see that Red had disappeared from sight. He opened his mouth to ask where he’d gone when he reappeared, Corbel held tightly in his arms and a giant grin across his face. 

When he saw the expressions on the faces of Sans and Fell, his grin faltered, expression changing into one of confusion. “What?”

“I was unaware that you were a teenage girl, brother. You should have told me.”

Rolling his eyes, Red quickly flipped off his brother before turning his attention back to the baby. He was grinning widely, and Sans just shook his head before going to sit next to Fell, flopping down heavily and ignoring the annoyed look he was receiving. 

Turning his eyes to where Red was still rocking the baby, he felt a soft smile curving his mouth. He knew his eyelights had softened, but he did his best to keep them from shifting into hearts. He was fairly certain that no one had told Fell about he and Red, and he just...it didn’t seem like the right time to bring that up. Fell had never made a secret about how much Sans annoyed him, and Sans certainly wasn’t about to be the one who upset him and aggravated something. Even if he was no longer in a coma and the majority of his internal wounds had been cured, Fell wasn’t  _ healed _ . 

Red looked up, grinning first at his brother, then at Sans, and he suppressed a snort at the happiness in his expression. Red winked, then looked down, smile widening as Corbel sneezed, then he turned and entered the kitchen, probably to ask Stretch if he could take his child home. Honestly, Stretch should count himself lucky that Red was even asking (again) before just running off with the little guy. 

“What are you doing here?”

Sans jumped slightly, not entirely expecting the gruff voice from beside him. He looked over to see Fell staring at him bluntly, one brow raised. He sighed, having expected something like this to come up. “Just makin’ sure you’re not gonna keel over. I’m obviously the most qualified person around, right?”

Fell looked at him doubtfully. “The only reason you’re any better at healing magic than the actual fucking RM or whatever the fuck that nurse thing that my brother is called is because Red hates everyone. I’m fairly certain he’d be able to find something to fix me somewhere in his soul, yes?” He seemed to wait a few moments for a response. When none was given, he rolled his eyes, asking again. “Why the hell are you here?”

Sans hesitated, then shrugged lightly, grinning. “Wanted to try Stretch’s lasagna.”

Eyes narrowing, Fell opened his mouth again, but was interrupted by a piercing cry from the kitchen, quickly followed by Red exclaiming, “What the shit, kid, you liked me two seconds ago?!”

Fell rolled his eyes, and yelled into the next room, “DON’T FUCKING SWEAR AROUND MY KID, YOU ASSHOLE!”

The faint sound of Stretch’s voice drifted into the room, barely audible over Corbel’s continued screaming. “Dude, go fuck him up.”

“STRETCH!”

Sans snickered as Red came into the room, still holding the squirming infant and glaring at his brother. “How is this thing so cute and yet fuckin’  _ possessed?”  _

“Maybe it’s just ‘cause you’re a shitty uncle,” Sans suggested, and Red’s mouth fell open in mock offense. 

“ _ Excuse me?? _ I am the best uncle! He’s gonna think I’m so cool, I’ll buy him a fake ID when he grows up and-- _ oof! _ ”

Corbel’s tiny, flailing foot had somehow connected with the underside of Red’s chin, and he looked down at the kid for a second like it had orchestrated the stabbing of Caesar. Then, (carefully), he lowered the kid to the floor, murmuring something about “fine, be that way,” and then straightening up, glaring down at the kid with his hands on his hips. 

As soon as he was set down, Corbel stopped crying, flapping his hands and gurgling happily. Red maintained his grumpy facade for all of ten seconds before sighing and looking up at Sans with a forlorn expression. “I can’t even fucking pretend to be mad.”

Sans grinned back, about to respond when Fell let out a strangled cry, shooting to his feet before freezing, staring down at the child with an expression of utmost shock. Red and Sans both jumped, following his gaze down to where Corbel’s hand was frozen, clutched around a single staple from the carpet that had obviously been destined for his mouth. Blue magic sparkled around the tiny phalanges, holding the hand still.

Red let out a strangled noise, immediately dropping to one knee and pulling the staple out of the small hand before picking Corbel up, cradling him carefully before shooting a grateful glance at Sans. “Thanks, man.”

Sans frowned, glancing down at his hands. “I didn’t--”

“It was me.”

Fell’s voice was hoarse, staring at where Corbel’s hand was still being held still. He took a deep breath, and the magic dissolved, leaving the kid free to flap his arms in outrage at having had his prize taken from him. Fell looked down at his lap, where his arms were currently resting. He’d gained feeling in his humeri over the past few days, only succeeding so far in moving those bones and bending his elbows. The doctor had said it was likely that his arms would regain some motion, but that his hands would likely never move again. 

“H-how...Only Sanses can--” 

He cut himself off again, eyes filling with some combination of understanding and horror before he sat back down carefully. Sans watched him for a moment, furrowing his brow in confusion before it clicked. 

Blue.


	26. Wouldn't it just be terrible if he fell off the roof and died accidentally

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A much-needed talk is had.
> 
> [Song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tLR3Gqz5PEs) of the chapter!
> 
> Also, IMPORTANT, I went back and edited the first 10 chapters of this fic, FINALLY, so that the plot rolled a little more smoothly and i could fix those really stupid mistakes and lines. Before next chapter, I would recommend re-reading, honestly. I get, though, that it's a long-ass fic, so if you don't want to read the whole thing, just go back and re-read chapters 6 and 8, because those are the ones I made the biggest changes to. Don't worry, I didn't change the story, I just added some important details to make it flow better.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much to [undertailsoulsex](http://undertailsoulsex.tumblr.com) for doing the beta work for this chapter! I cannot recommend these services more highly!

The day Stretch and Fell were married, it rained. Stretch remembered looking out the window and laughing, thinking to himself about how pissed Fell was going to be about the fact that nature itself was trying to sabotage his unrealistic dreams of perfect wedding photos. 

Fell had never even heard of a wedding in its traditional sense until he came to Underswap. Even a bonding had been nigh-unheard of in Underfell, let alone a public ceremony to declare one’s weaknesses. But as soon as he had found out, he’d decided that’s what he had wanted. There were a lot of decisions like that in the early days. He’d decided he wanted to learn to play the violin and he’d decided that he was going to get himself a leather jacket and he’d decided he was going to  _ travel _ and he’d decided he was going to annoy the hell out of everyone he talked to, ever, apparently. 

Stretch had snickered at that thought, and the smile had lingered to brighten his face as he continued gazing through the glass at the sheets of rain. 

All of Fell’s decisions, and the most important one, apparently, had been for this… this perfect, sitcom, white-picket future. Perfect wedding photos, perfect proposal story, perfect cake-cutting, everything. Why Fell had chosen  _ Stretch _ of all people to be his ‘perfect’ partner was still an explanation that eluded him, but at this point, he’d decided to go with it. After all, Fell could not be dissuaded once he made a decision unless he, himself, wanted to change his mind.

But as Stretch stood quietly by the side of their child’s crib, looking down at a sleeping face that looked so much like Fell’s, he couldn’t help but wonder. 

Why him?

He was weak. He was selfish. He was tired. So why would someone like  _ Fell _ , burning bright with passion about even the most mundane of things, choose  _ him _ ? 

Then again, he supposed, why had he chosen Fell? Eight LV when they had first met, fear and murder in his eyes, his injured brother held close to his chest… well, maybe that was why. Stretch could… well, he and Blue had had only each other for  _ so long _ , he could appreciate an image like that. He would have turned the world right over for his brother, if he’d ever been asked. And God, they’d had it so easy compared to the others. 

Underfell had been hell. There were nights,  _ still _ , when Fell would wake up in tears, magic lighting up the room and Stretch couldn’t help but flinch and back away from him. Two years later, and he could still bring out that dangerous side. Two years, and he was still ready to kill if it meant protecting what he loved. 

Fell had told him, once, about where his world had gone. Stretch had never really been sure how the others had arrived, one pair after another. He supposed he still didn’t, technically, but Fell’s story made that old war-torn look in Sans’ eyes make a hell of a lot more sense, even if Sans had always refused to talk about it. The lost expression on Fell’s face as he described the destruction of his entire world had to be nothing to what Sans and Papyrus felt about losing a world full of people they had actually cared for. 

Corbel shifted in his crib, and Stretch watched him carefully for a moment before he sighed and turned to leave the room, still lost in thought. 

Guilt swamped him, sometimes, for how glad he was that Fell had ended up here, no matter the circumstances. Of  _ course _ he didn’t condone the death of millions, but… with Fell by his side, he could take on the world. He’d been so weak for so long that it felt  _ amazing _ to have someone so powerful stand with him unconditionally. 

Blue had been strong too. He’d have had to have been, raising a child when he himself was a child. But it had always been a different kind of strength. No one was perfect, no one could keep it together all the time, but Blue had always pretended. He had hidden his weaknesses behind a wall and hadn’t let anyone behind it until he had met Razz. Not even Stretch had been able to scale the barrier that Blue had cobbled together. Not entirely, anyway. 

Fell was open about his weaknesses. However, there was something in the way he carried himself that made it seem that even at his weakest, he was stronger than anyone else could ever hope to be. That’s just how he was. That’s how he’d always been, for as long as Stretch had known him. 

Everyone was weak. Fell just didn’t care about arbitrary things like that. He’d never let it hold him back. And as Stretch left his child’s room, shutting the door behind him, he couldn’t help but wish he could have had the strength to… to…

He leaned back against the nursery door, blank-eyed. To what?

Take it back?

Guilt surged through his soul and he immediately rejected the idea. He didn’t  _ want _ to take it back. He didn’t  _ want _ to lose his husband, the father of his child, quite possibly the person he loved most in the world. But… he wished he hadn’t been forced to give up his brother. He didn’t want to sit back and look at everything that had happened and question his own happiness.

He’d been so prepared to lose Fell. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he’d known that he wouldn’t have survived it. He would have gone right alongside him, and in that sense, he supposed, it was good that it had been Blue instead. Corbel would have been left alone, raised by a bunch of uncles and alternates that barely knew how to take care of themselves, let alone a child. He knew he and Fell were far from perfect, but… it was  _ their  _ son. Corbel was theirs, and no matter how much he missed his brother, he would never be able to deny his relief at getting the opportunity to be a father. 

But no matter how many times he thought about it, no matter how many times he tried to assure himself that it was okay to be happy, that Blue didn’t die with the intention of hurting them, grief still burned through his soul.

He missed him. And he would never be able to help that.

Stretch sighed, reaching up to pass a hand across his sockets. He wasn’t crying, but he could feel the burn behind his sockets that meant he might start.

He would always miss Blue. His soul twisted at the thought of his bright smile and his tight hugs and his humming while he did the dishes. But it would be a waste of his sacrifice, a waste of the blessing of more time with his husband, to spend his life wishing things could be different.

He stood up straight, fixing his shoulders and stuffing his hands in the pockets of his old orange hoodie. It smelled like old cigarettes, honey, and cilantro, and he squeezed his eyes shut for a moment as he ducked his head, breathing it in. The silence pressed in around him, and he realized, suddenly, that it was far  _ too _ quiet. 

Where was Fell? 

Frowning, Stretch opened his eyes and peeked into the empty master bedroom before descending the steps to check the kitchen. When he saw the room was empty, he tried not the let the panic set in. Fell had seemed upset after he’d realized he had inherited Blue’s magic. A sadness had crept into his eyes and only grew deeper when Stretch had quietly pointed out that it was the best kind of magic he could have ended up with, considering his new handicap. 

He glanced around the living room again, as though Fell would just appear, hiding under the couch or in a darkened corner. As his gaze passed across the living room window, however, he was struck with a thought. Upon arriving on the Surface, night upon night Blue disappeared, fleeing his room as the stress overwhelmed him or some nightmare drove him from bed, and…

Well, there had only ever been one place he would ever go during those times.

Stretch jogged up the stairs quietly, making his way to the master bedroom window and cracking it open. There was a sloped roof directly outside it, and he breathed a sigh of relief as he caught sight of his husband sitting quietly, staring up into the night sky. He pushed the window open the rest of the way and carefully climbed out to settle next to Fell.

Fell side-eyed him, but he didn’t return the look, instead choosing to stare upwards at the sprawling majesty of the sky. He squinted at the sparkling dots of light, trying to draw meaning from them, to connect them in a way that made sense. 

But, just like whenever Blue had ever tried to involve him in his stargazing, he quickly lost interest, eyes dropping to his lap. 

They were both quiet for a long moment before Stretch found the courage to speak, still unsure if he really wanted to have this conversation. 

“So… Blue’s magic.”

Fell snorted at his abruptness, looking back up at the sky with a wonder in his eyes Stretch had only started seeing recently. “Blue’s magic,” he agreed. “But it’s not… entirely unexpected. I should just count myself lucky I didn’t pick up his height or his disposition towards…  _ bouncing _ .”

The word was said with such venom that Stretch found himself snickering, pressing the back of his hand to his mouth in an attempt to stifle the sound. He could feel more than see Fell’s eyes on him, and the image of his bewildered smile had him giggling all the harder. It felt almost… inappropriate, to be laughing at a moment like this, but at the same time…

Something loosened inside his soul. 

Fell sighed loudly, looking back up at the sky. “You know, I used to find this so boring. But now I … it’s so beautiful, you know? There’s so  _ much _ out there. It’s so big, and so wonderful, and there’s a part of me that wonders how I’ve never been able to see it before.”

“Maybe you never had the space for it before,” Stretch suggested casually, and Fell’s mouth twitched for a split second before he forced it to curve down into a frown of disapproval.

“Do you even like puns?” he asked suddenly, and Stretch furrowed his brow. 

“What?”

“I know you make them a lot but….do you actually find them funny?”

Stretch turned to stare at the other, considering for a moment before shaking his head. “No. It’s a… habit, I suppose. I started making them back when I was recovering, to make Sans laugh.”

“He must have loved them.” In response to Stretch’s questioning glance, he continued, “I’ve never liked them, but from the moment I’ve woken up, I keep making them in my head.”

“Now there’s the true tragedy,” Stretch joked, but his voice cracked, and he was overwhelmed with that sense of  _ wrongness _ again, as though that was the last thing he should have said. 

Sure enough, Fell gave him a funny look, but quickly schooled his expression into something more serious. “You know…”

Stretch was distracted, just for a moment, by the sound of crackling from the tree in the backyard. Some leaves were beginning to turn colors a little early, and he furrowed a brow as he glanced it over. The last thing they needed was for it to fall over, especially if--

“I can feel how much he loved you.”

He blinked, looking back at Fell. “What?”

“It’s like…” Fell looked unsure, as though he didn’t know whether he should be telling Stretch this, but evidently decided to plow on. “I love you on my own, so much more than I could express with words. I’ve told you that, and I’ve felt it so many times, and it’s changed and grown over the years, and I know it back to front. But now…”

There were tears in his eyes, Stretch realized. He wanted to reach out and brush them away, but he couldn’t bring himself to move, couldn’t get his hands to reach out. 

“I keep… every time you go out of the room, I want to follow you and make sure you’re okay. My first instinct when you look even a little upset is to put this huge smile on my face and offer to make you something to eat.” Fell looked back up at the stars, the look in his eyes bordering on upset. “I know it shouldn’t… it shouldn’t bother me. I’m so,  _ so _ grateful to him. I owe him everything. I owe him my whole life, I owe him any future relationship I might get with my  _ son _ , but… I’ve never wanted to be him.”

His tears began to spill over onto his cheeks, but he didn’t brush them away. Whether it was because he couldn’t or didn’t want to, Stretch had no idea. 

“I’ve never liked him. I’ve always thought he was selfish and manipulative, that he tried to look like a good person because he thought that would get him what he thought he needed, and I don’t want to be that! I can’t even… I can’t decide if saving me was even unselfish, because I can feel this… this  _ guilt _ , like he thought the whole thing was his fault!”

Fell’s head finally dropped, and he pressed his face into his scarf, arms raising as though he wanted to bury his face in his limp hands. Stretch watched for a moment, mind whirling with the revelations the other was dropping on him. Then he shook his head, scooting to the side so that he could wrap his arm around Fell’s shoulders, drawing him into his chest. 

“Fell, he’s my brother,” he murmured. “He raised me, and I love him more than life itself, but I know what kind of person he is.” Fell froze in shock, and Stretch snorted, less out of amusement, and more out of… well… “I know you all think I see him as an angel, sweet and kind and innocent, but… he’s not. He never has been. He was basically a single parent, for fuck’s sake, and you don’t retain much innocence when you have to fight tooth and nail for a child.”

They were both quiet for a moment, Fell sniffling as he lifted an arm to push away the tears that were staining his face. 

Then Stretch’s voice dropped in volume, and he turned his face so that it was pressed to the side of Fell’s. “Fell, if you were able to be who you were despite a world like yours, you can sure as hell be who you are despite my brother.”

Fell’s breath was shaky, fingers twitching like he wanted to be clenching his fists. “In Underfell, it was supposed to be bad luck to speak ill of the dead,” he whispered, and Stretch pressed a kiss to the side of his head before he replied. 

“Fell, I love you. And no bad luck, no death or destruction or sacrifice will ever tear that away from me. I… I miss Sans more than I can tell you, but I wouldn’t change what happened.” His voice broke at the end, tears finally streaming down his face as he held his husband as tightly as he could. 

“I wouldn’t change a single thing.”


	27. What happened to all the porn in this story?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Razz kind of loses his shit  
> Warnings for the chapter are the usual sadness, and there's some...past genocideHAVE FUN!!!!!
> 
> [Song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KgBazthb_kY) for the chapter, and other [Other Song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=987xHnVfRI4) for the chapter. I used both, I love both, feel free to pick and choose which you go with.
> 
> **MAKE SURE YOU READ THE END NOTES AFTER READING**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Beta'd by Soul!!](https://undertailsoulsex.tumblr.com) Their services are amazing!

The first time Papyrus had died, Sans hadn’t had a thought in his head apart from his brother. Every time thereafter had lessened the blow, of course. His brother’s death never,  _ never _ lost its pain completely, but the sharp edge of that particular knife was dulled from the repetition.

But that first time…

Sans had fallen to his knees when he had seen the dust, unable to take his eyes off of the bright red scarf Papyrus had loved so much. So much  _ pain _ had rushed through him all at once that he had been  _ sure _ he was going to follow right after him. How was he supposed to survive without the only person he’d ever lived for?

As he had come back to himself, he’d remembered the way that Frisk had been so unusually quiet. They had seemed so  _ dark _ . They hadn’t even responded to him as they had made their way through their little corner of the world. When his brother had attempted to speak to them, they hadn’t even… they hadn’t even  _ cared _ . 

The revelation had floored him, and the pain had come all the sharper when he had realized exactly who it had been that had broken him. Then they had reset, and it happened again, and again, and  _ again. _ The same story, the same path, the same deaths. Any capacity to grieve at all had been stolen. 

So when the void had come to take his world, all he’d been able to do was stand stock-still, holding tightly to Papyrus’ arm to keep him rooted to his side. He’d stared around with blank eyes as the world had fallen apart and the darkness had come for them all. Papyrus had been screaming, sobbing, begging him to let go so that he could go help someone, but… even if he had been used to his brother dying, that moment had been different.

So he had held on tight.

He had held on as Snowdin had been ripped apart around them. He had held on as screams echoed around them, filling the air. He had held on as the void had approached, its dark familiarity seeming almost at odds with the brightness of Sans’ misplaced hope. He had held on, and he had tried not to revel in the fact that something had finally been changed. 

But when the world had gone, something had pulled at them, and suddenly, light had been surrounding them. It had seemed celestial, like something all-powerful had him within their grasp, until Sans had realized that they were the lights of his own living room, and his hopes had fallen apart as his grip had loosened. 

He hadn’t even realized that Papyrus had shoved away from him until a new voice, so similar to his brother’s, had asked what the hell they thought they were doing in “his” house.

Sans sighed, reaching up to rub circles around his sockets as he stared down at a photo on his phone. Razz was upstairs, Red was in the kitchen, no one was right here to tell him to “just grieve”. He had no idea how to grieve. He had no idea how to feel, what to do. This was so much different than losing Papyrus. 

Losing Blue was different than when his world has fallen apart. At least then he had had Blue, one of his best friends, to comfort him.

The photo was an older one, taken on a different phone, back when it had been just them. Back when he had thought that it would always be just them, with Papyrus, Stretch, and Slim there to sing the backup vocals on the rom-com he’d thought his life was going to be. Blue was smiling, of course, but his eyelights weren’t stars. They were blown wide in excitement and laughter, and his scarf was half falling off his neck after he had rearranged it half a dozen times. Sans could see Stretch in the background, making a face at the camera, but the focus was clearly on Blue and his laughter. 

Blue had woken all of them up at some unholy hour, spouting something about an Aurora Borealis, and had dragged everyone outside and up onto the roof. There they’d all stayed until dawn, waiting for something that had never ended up happening.  Instead they had talked about nothing and laughed at stupid jokes. 

God, they’d all been so tired the next day. Sans had gotten scheduled for a double shift. It’d been awful, but to this day, this was his favorite picture of Blue. Whenever he had forced his smile bigger, those stars in his eyes had showed, and it hadn’t been often that he had smiled without them. Sans had been lucky to have captured that moment. 

Letting out a rush of breath, Sans forced himself to turn his phone over and  shut off the screen before gazing upwards to stop the tears from falling. He couldn’t do this. He couldn’t just sit here wishing for someone that was never going to be here again. 

Shoving his phone into his back pocket, Sans stood and walked into the kitchen. Red was standing in front of the stove with his hands on his hips, glaring at a pot of water like he was daring it to boil. As Sans’ footsteps rang out in the quiet room, he turned to look, a grin spreading across his features until he saw the look on Sans’ face.

Red sighed quietly and crossed the room to gather Sans into his arms. He didn’t say anything, and Sans returned the favor, both of them standing quietly until Sans felt like maybe he wasn’t going to break into pieces. Eventually the two of them broke apart and Sans crossed the room to lean heavily against the counter, folding his arms tightly across his chest. 

“I miss him, Red.”

“I know.” Red came to stand quietly beside him, tipping his shoulder so that it brushed against Sans’ and lent a semblance of peace. Of  _ normalcy _ .

“It’ll get easier,” Red said.

Sans looked up and opened his mouth only to jump about a foot in the air as he noticed a figure in the doorway. “Razz?! You scared the shit out of me, why are you--”

“How long have you had this?”

He was distracted, for a moment, by the other’s tone. Sans didn’t think he’d ever heard his voice that dark, full of… of some kind of betrayal. He opened his mouth, intending to explain what they’d been doing, worried that perhaps he’d heard their conversation and had somehow misconstrued it. 

Then his gaze fell. Razz was clutching a jar of dust tightly to his chest. The powder was as white inside as it was dusted on Razz’s shoulders like undisturbed snow in Snowdin Woods.

“Razz, where did you get that?”

“ _ Why did you have it in the first place? _ ”

As Razz’s magic flared in aggression, Sans recoiled a few inches and glanced helplessly in Red’s direction. But Red was looking back at him, a question in his eyes, and Sans sighed, turning back to Razz.

“I… I wasn’t trying to keep it from--”

Before either of them could react, Razz crossed the room, set the dust on the table, and spun around to look Sans in the eye. “Do you think you deserve to keep him? That he was  _ yours _ ?!”

“No!” Sans held out his hands in surrender, taking a step back to gain some distance. He had never seen him like this. His eyelights were flashing and his hands were shaking at his sides, twitching as if they would rather be around Sans's neck. “Of course not! I didn’t think it was the right time!”

“The right time was the  _ moment _ he died, Sans!” Razz was practically screaming now, chest heaving with every breath. Sans felt Red’s hand curl around his upper arm, ready to shortcut them away, but Sans tugged away. Blue had always insisted that Razz had changed, and from everything he’d seen from the other in the past few weeks, he was inclined to believe it. 

“Razz, you were grieving. It didn’t seem like--”

“ _ You’re damn right I was grieving! _ I just lost… Blue was…” He exhaled harshly and withdrew his magic just enough that his murderous intent no longer filled the room. “I fucking  _ needed _ him, and you had no goddamn right to keep him from me!”

Sans sighed, glancing aside and folding his arms across his chest. “I didn’t think he would want you fixating on a jar of something that used to be him.”

There was a long pause, then Razz stepped back, staring at him in disbelief. Waves of malignant intent poured off him, dangerously high one moment and terrifyingly low the next. With Red standing so close, Sans could practically feel the worry flowing off him as they stared at Razz’s broken expression. 

When Razz next spoke, his voice was filled with quiet menace and his eyelights fluttered into nothingness. 

“Do you honestly think that because he… he fucked you out of loneliness  _ three years ago _ , that you have any idea what he would want?” Sans’ soul constricted, and he opened his mouth, but Razz cut him off, continuing to stare at him with blackened sockets. “Do you think because he used you and ‘hurt your feelings’, that because you forgave him and made up and decided to be 'besties’ again, that you  _ understand  _ him?!”

“Razz,” Red started, voice quiet, but Razz shot him a glare before going on. 

“You have  _ no idea _ who he was, Sans. You knew nothing about him, even if you think you knew him at his worst.” Every word felt like a punch to the ribs, and tears pooled in his sockets as he met Razz’s tortured gaze. 

“I’m so sorry.”

Razz’s eyelights flickered back into existence as he blinked and took a step back as though trying to see him better. “W-what?”

“I’m sorry,” Sans pressed on, the tears spilling over and beginning to streaming down his face. He reached up to brush them away, avoiding Razz’s gaze. “I’m sorry I kept it from you. I’m sorry I… I tried to… to take him from you. I’m sorry for pretending to know him, because I’m… there’s no doubt in my mind that I have  _ no clue _ what you’re going through, how much you must feel as though you’re missing.” He sniffed, and Red’s arm encircled his shoulders, trying to pull him in. He pushed the other away, didn’t even look up at him as he forced out, “I’m sorry I tried to pretend I understood anything about him, or thought I knew him at his worst. But… Razz, we all got to know him at his best, and I-I… I wish I would have known more of that from him, that he could have learned it before he… he left you.”

Razz had this expression on his face that Sans had never seen before, something lost and broken. It was so far beyond anything he’d ever felt, anything he’d ever been  _ prepared _ to feel, so it was almost a surprise when Razz finally broke the silence, his voice sounding almost normal despite the shattered hope in his sockets. 

“What are you talking about?”

“W-well…” Sans took a moment to gather himself, furrowing his brow at the other’s confusion. “He saved Fell’s life. He gave Corbel his father and he did his best to make his little brother happy, a-and I know he left you doing it, but at least he--”

“You think that was… that Blue was ‘at his best’?”

Sans could do nothing but open his mouth before Razz was laughing humorlessly, wiping at his eyes even though there were no tears to be seen. “You think he was being this… this unselfish little hero, out to help his family and save the world the best he could?  _ It was his goddamn fault! _ ”

The silence in the kitchen was deafening. Sans and Red stared at Razz as though he’d just sprouted a third arm. 

“H-he fucked the whole multiverse to hell for  _ me _ , and now he’s dead!” Razz pressed on, throwing his hands into the air as he choked on a sob. “He didn’t die out of any selfless kindness. He died out of  _ guilt _ . He died because he abandoned me in hell, and you weren’t a good enough replacement, so he just  _ had _ to get me back! He just  _ had _ to ‘sell his soul’, then die playing the hero so he could be remembered with a smile! Don’t you see?” His voice was growing as he continued, his magic thrashing through his body as his emotions visibly warred. “He’s the only person I’ve ever been able to love, and he abandoned me and you and everyone so he could make up for something he never should have done in the first place!”

“Razz--”

“But you stand here, and you  _ apologize _ , and you say that at least he died a hero, so we should be  _ grateful _ . Do you even realize what he did to you? To all of you? Can you even  _ imagine _ who he was? He  _ destroyed  _ your worlds!” His breath caught, and tears flooded his eyes at the absolute silence from the others. “Everyone you watched die, every piece of your Underground you saw get sucked into the void, and it was because Blue was doing some trial and error, doing his best to bring me back and accidentally pointing to the wrong universe. He  _ destroyed everything _ , then did it again and again until he finally got it right, and he didn’t even regret it until it hurt his baby brother! He didn’t want to take it back until he realized that he had  _ maybe _ taken the kindness from human souls, and then he just… he didn’t even  _ think _ . He just left!”

Sans could do nothing but stare as Razz took a step back, the strength of his outburst seeming to shock even him for a moment. His face stiffened, but immediately fell flat. Instead, he pushed the tears away from his eyes. 

“What?”

They both flinched at the sound of Red’s voice, which was filled with confusion and denial. Razz stared at him for a moment, then glanced at Sans, his anger seeming to deflate. Then he rubbed at his eyes again and plopped down into the nearest chair. When he spoke, his voice was hollow. 

“I didn’t know it was him until after we were bonded. I just… I knew there was something? I knew he’d done something to bring me back, but I had assumed he… he had made a deal with Gaster somehow. But when we were bonded, I kept feeling this… not guilt, exactly, but… grief? He… he hadn’t  _ wanted _ to do it, he’d said, but he’d felt like he had needed to. He had to save me from a world he’d known was too broken for someone he’d left with a weakened LV, a world that had even left someone like him with scars.”

Razz glanced up at them, then looked back down. 

“You have to understand, my world is… was… hell. Even… even for someone like me, who probably seemed like the devil himself when I first met Blue. While Blue was in Swapfell, he had been kidnapped, and he just… I rescued him, of course, but after he just seemed so… removed from it all. I thought it was just one of those things, a healing process of some kind. I tried to do some research, but, uh...the librarby wasn’t exactly kept well-stocked.” He snorted lightly, keeping his gaze averted. “But when I got here, he was the same. He kept going on about how lonely he’d been, how he needed me here. How he knew I would always be there to protect him, as l-long as he was there to let me.” His tears were quieter now, slipping down his face as his words caught. “But h-he…”

“He killed all of those people?”

Sans’ voice didn’t even sound like it belonged to him. It was broken, and he didn’t know how to sort through the feelings that were fighting through his mind. 

At that, Razz looked up again, his gaze meeting Sans'.  Something was coiling in Sans’ gut, a preparation for the incoming denial, the excuses, and Sans had no idea how to refute them when he was still having trouble comprehending the fact that  _ Blue _ could be responsible for--

“Yes.”

That single word was like a sledgehammer on Sans’ soul, and suddenly, his mouth wouldn’t  move. He was seeing it again, the screams of their friends and neighbors, Papyrus sobbing in fear and grief, the way that his brother  _ still _ wouldn’t look at him the same way he had before he had put their lives before anyone else’s. 

“How did he even do that?” Red asked, and Sans’ brows came together as he turned to stare in disbelief at him. Razz opened his mouth to respond, but Sans cut him off with a gesture. 

“Why are you asking a question like that?!”

Red blinked down at him, seeming confused. “Like what?”

“We just found out that… that he  _ destroyed _ … no, that he  _ killed _ everyone we knew, he ripped our universes up by the roots for the sake of a game of… of…. hide and seek! And you -- you want to know how he did it?!” 

At that, Red’s face hardened, though Sans could tell it wasn’t directed at him. “What did my world ever do for me, anyway? I have Pa--”

“ _ What?! _ ”

Sans didn’t think his magic had ever felt like this, twisting around inside him like it was getting ready to lash out, his disbelief washing through his denial and grief and resulting in a storm of emotion that was on the edge of breaking. The other two were looking at him, and their blindness filled him with a rage he couldn’t explain.

Their worlds had never done anything for them. They had no one to miss, they had nothing to grieve, not really. He… he guessed he could understand them, in a sense, as much as it sickened him. 

But  _ Blue _ .

The whole multiverse had been at Blue’s fingertips. His friends had been there, his family had been there, he had had opportunity and support and love all around him, and he had had all of that until his very last moments. 

But he had stolen that from Sans. 

It had been taken in the spur of the moment. His whole world had been ripped away from him, and that wasn’t even the worst part. After seeing what that had done to them, after seeing the pain they had been through, that  _ Sans _ had been through,  _ he had done it again _ . 

Hot tears burned their way out of Sans’ sockets, and his chest heaved as he sobbed. He buried his face in his hands as he tried to gain control over his whirling emotions. A hand gripped on his shoulder, and he flinched away violently, knocking against the table as his magic blazed, throwing Red back and away from him. 

He stared up at Red’s shocked expression, completely frozen in disbelief. 

“Sans--”

Before Red could say another word, Sans took a shortcut to his own bedroom and immediately closed and locked the door. He stared blank-eyed at his own blue and yellow quilt and at Razz’s boots sitting by the foot of the bed. Slowly, he sunk down to the carpet, hugging his knees to his chest. 

After… after everything he’d ever thought. After learning so much about all of them, his  _ family _ . After everything he’d ever been convinced of about Blue. 

Everything was…

He forced himself to stop shaking, squeezing his eyes shut and willing the tears to stop. 

Everything was wrong. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, so, if you're confused, that would be because I'm a loser and the very solid prequel that is in my head has not found its way to actual Ao3 yet. So, as a way of explaining, here's a [link](https://archiveofourown.org/works/11270064/chapters/26889639) to the full synopsis of their backgrounds, the chapter-by-chapter summary of the prequel. 
> 
> I HIGHLY RECOMMEND READING IT IF YOU'RE CONFUSED!!!


	28. Wow lookie here i believe we have ourselves some new characters

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alternate Chapter Title: Well it shouldn't be a surprise that funerals kind of suck
> 
> I've finished writing the next chapter, all that's left is the beta work! So it should be out very soon! AND THEN THERES JUST THE EPILOGUE. I can't believe we're this close to finished already, what the fuck??
> 
> [Song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fhVVZDgA4Os) of the chapter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much to [Soul](undertailsoulsex.tumblr.com) for being the beta on this again!!

“Sans?”

The newcomer wasn’t the one he’d expected, but he kept still anyway, back to the door and knees curled up into his chest under the blankets. Red had been up here a few times to check on him, but Sans had pretended to be asleep. 

“Sans, we’re leaving. Do you want to come?”

Now,  _ there _ was something he’d always kind of wondered about. Why did they all talk so differently if they were supposedly the same person? Had every version of himself started with the same voice, only for something with their worlds to change the way they spoke? Perhaps it was the fact that Razz had gone so long angry or panicked that his tone had become permanently guttural. It wasn’t as scratchy as Red’s, but it was easy to attribute Red’s rougher cadence to the cigarettes he regularly chain-smoked his way through. 

“...Sans.”

Sans supposed, though, that Red and Razz would have sounded pretty similar if it wasn’t for that accent all of the Swaps carried. He’d always kind of wondered where it came from, why even Stretch and Slim spoke with a little bit of a lilt, softening their Rs and emphasizing their vowels. Maybe it had something to do with their Gasters, or the way they were created. No one else in this world really seemed to speak like that, at least no one he had met. 

The thump of footsteps crossing the room made Sans close his eyes, tightening his grip on the sheets.

Even without the accent, though, Razz always spoke with this… power behind his words. He had the inflection you would expect to hear from a military general, as though having his orders obeyed was a right he had been born with. 

The mattress dipped, and Sans shifted so that he wouldn’t roll into the new weight. “Red is worried about you.”

Even now, when his words were filled with so much hopeless sadness, he still carried that power. Sans knew, without even looking, that his shoulders were ramrod straight, his feet were planted firmly on the floor, and and his hands, which were now bunching up Sans' quilt were, were not shaking only by pure force of will. 

“We’re… we’re all angry, Sans. We’re all angry at Blue.”

Razz was every inch the soldier. 

“We all wish things were different.” That powerful voice was so quiet, now, but the strength behind it no less pronounced for the volume. “We all wish…We all wish that none of this had happened, I suppose.”

Blue had always pretended to be a soldier. 

“Red wants me to make you come. To guilt you into it, remind you that you’ll regret not going.”

He’d always tried to stand tall, to straighten his back and rein in his smile. He’d never been very good at it. It’d always seemed as though he was forcing himself into a mold that didn’t fit, running himself bare so that he didn’t have time to concentrate on why his life seemed to be running on fumes. 

“I do think you might regret staying home later, but… I don’t think I’m the right person to be telling you that.”

Sans sighed, loosening his grip on the blankets and letting his legs relax. Razz shifted in his seat, and Sans pictured him glancing over before dropping his gaze to the floor. 

“...I don’t want to go either.”

Razz was so full of strength. Sans didn’t think he’d ever be able to understand how Razz managed to sound so tired. 

Slowly, he rolled over, pushing himself up to sit so that he could see him. Sure enough, Razz was staring down at the floor, fingers brushing along the hem of the all-too-familiar scarf around his neck. At Sans’ movement, his eyes flashed to Sans’ for a split second before he averted his eyes again. Sans leaned back against the headboard, letting the quilt slip down so that he could wrap his jacket more securely around his frame. 

“Why are you angry?” Sans asked, his tone flat.

Instead of answering, Razz sighed, reaching up to secure the knot at the back of his neck. “You know, Stretch is probably going to want to spread his dust on this.” When Sans said nothing, the barest trace of a smile curved his mouth, his eyelights growing distant. “He hated this thing, though. He used to complain about how tight the knot would get, but that was his own fault. He always tugged on it when he got nervous.” Razz’s voice broke on the last word, and he sucked in a breath, his hands sinking to his lap. “And I think it was kind of… a reminder, you know? Of everything he’d ever lost. He  _ hated _ those scars, though. The scarf and gloves were… the lesser of the evils, I suppose.”

He fell silent, eyes falling closed as he pulled the edges of his own gloves and tugged them up further on his arms. Left, then right, then left again. His hands hovered for a moment, as though considering repeating the process, and then they fell. He ran his thumbs along the seams of his shorts, the repetitive motion pulling Sans’ eyes away from his face. 

“I think he’d like his dust spread on something he actually liked. Isn’t that… that’s how funerals work, here, right? You spread your dust on the thing you love most?” Sans nodded, and Razz continued. “Yeah, that’s what I… We would spread their dust in the echo flower fields. The Queen always said that the echo flowers told the story of the dead, and everyone, even if they were… like me? We all wanted to hear what they had to say. After all --” his mouth twitched into an empty grin again, “-- Hell couldn’t be half as bad as a place like the Underground, right?”

Even when Slim had been living with Sans and Papyrus, Sans had never learned much about their world. Razz only ever mentioned it in half-sentences, catching himself halfway through and changing the subject, and Slim only ever got started when he was so drunk he was basically incomprehensible anyway. So he listened with widening eyes, thinking not for the first time that it was no wonder the two were so closed off. 

“Do you want him spread with the flowers?” he asked, curious despite himself, but Razz was quick to shake his head. 

“No. Blue isn’t… he never belonged in my world, and he shouldn’t be subjected to those traditions.” He paused as he peered around the room, hands stilling in thought. “I’ve been thinking that maybe he’d like to be spread over Stretch’s baby blanket. That bright orange one he keeps in that stupid memory box in the closet?” Sans nodded, and Razz visibly relaxed.

He could understand that. He couldn’t imagine how completely out of his element Razz must be, with unfamiliar traditions to make his grief that much more complicated. 

“Or maybe that old costume armor he used to wear before Alphys got him his vest. Unless… do you think he’d rather it be the vest? He used to spend hours taking care of the leather, and I-I think he sort of… saw it as the first time Alphys really accepted that he could make his way into the Royal Guard? But… I’ll ask Stretch, when we get to the old house. Red said he’d stop by the apartment for me and get those things, so I w-wouldn’t have to--” Razz cut himself off sharply, sucking in a rush of air and looking up towards the ceiling. 

Sans glanced away. Razz had a hard enough time expressing his emotions  _ without _ him staring at him. He could stay well enough out of it. “Are they holding the funeral down in the Underground?”

It took Razz a moment before he was able to respond, and when he did, he had gone quiet again. “Yeah… apparently monsters have been keeping up some of those old traditions, wanting their dust to return to the ground or something? I’ve never really understood the beliefs here.” 

Snorting humorlessly, Sans nodded. Razz hesitated, glancing up at him and opening his mouth, but Sans cut him off before he could say anything. “I don’t want to come. I’m not ready to… to pay respects to someone who destroyed everything I’d ever known, and I… I don’t think I can look Stretch in the face without telling him everything. He…  _ Everyone _ needs to be able to move on, and it’s not my right to uproot what little peace they’re going to be able to make with all of this.” He paused, then sighed. “Tell him I’m sorry. And tell Red too, okay? I’m just… I’m going to sleep until you guys get back.”

Razz seemed to be searching for something to say, but Sans shook his head. “You need to get going. They’d wait for you, but you still probably shouldn’t be late.”

They stared at each other for a moment, Razz’s eyelights trembling in his sockets before, finally, he let out a breath and stood up carefully and turned towards the door. He hesitated before taking a step, though, and swiveled back to meet his eyes again.

“I know that there was a lot between you, and that you’ve really… gotten the brunt of Blue’s mistakes, but… I think he did care about you. He… he wanted to make the best of things, if he could.”

How many times, Sans wondered, had he tried to convince himself of that very thing? 

“Thank you.”

Sans listened to the tap of his boots as they left the room and descended the stairs, followed by the murmur of conversation. He sank back down in bed, listening carefully for any sign that one of them would come back up. After a moment, however, the noises disappeared, and Sans closed his eyes as he realized that they must have shortcutted out. 

The house was absolutely silent, and Sans shifted his legs just to hear the rasp against the sheets. He hoped none of the others would be angry with him, but even if they were…

Well, they didn’t have to understand, he supposed. 

It would… it would be okay.

~~~

It felt as though he had only been asleep for a few seconds before he was awoken by a knock on the door. Bleary-eyed, Sans rolled over, glaring in the direction of the landing as though he could make the visitor go away by force of will. He could probably ignore it, right? Everyone who mattered was at the f… in the Underground. 

The knock came again, and he sighed, tossing the quilt aside and throwing his legs over the side of the mattress. If it was one of the salesmen who frequented the building, it would be quicker to tell them to go away than to wait them out. He zipped up his jacket before stepping into a shortcut, arriving in front of the door as more knocking rang out. Persistent fucking ba--

He had hardly tugged the door open before he was swept up into a pair of gangly arms, feet dangling as he sputtered in surprise. 

“Brother! I am sorry we did not come sooner!”

Sans’ eyes flew wide as he recognized the voice, pulling back just enough so that he could look the other in the face. “Paps?”

Papyrus grinned widely, though his expression fell when Sans promptly burst into messy tears, collapsing forward to bury his face into the soft red cloth of his brother’s scarf. Large hands patted his back, soothing some of the tension from his bones.

Somewhere nearby, someone softly murmured something unintelligible, and it took him a moment to place the speaker. He didn’t move his head from Papyrus’ scarf, however, and instead allowed Papyrus to carry him into the kitchen. The door slammed shut, and another set of footsteps followed behind them. 

“Give me a moment, Brother, I’ll make us something to eat,” Papyrus said, and Sans nodded into the scarf, loosening his grip so that Papyrus could pull him away from the hug and pass him along to the other member of their small family in a motion so bittersweetly familiar, it had him bursting into a new wave of sobs. 

Slim laughed as Sans curled his fingers into the fluff of his hood, boosting him up with a knee as though he was a toddler. Sans snorted through the tears as Slim carried him over to the table, the sounds of Papyrus discovering the kitchen’s lack of organization filling the room. 

“How’re ya holdin’ up?” Slim asked quietly, going to set Sans down in a chair before realizing that his grip wasn’t letting up. He huffed good-naturedly and plopped down into the seat himself, keeping Sans close as he continued to cry. 

“I-I-I’m just f-fine and d-d-dandy, a-assho--”

“Watch your language, Sans,” came the all-too-familiar reprimand, and Sans choked on more hysterical laughter. Slim thumped him on the back, and he made a face, reaching up to rub at his sockets as he tried to get control of his emotions. 

“I wish we had been able to come more quickly, Sans, but you see, Slim was in the middle of several college interviews when news came of Fell’s condition, and we felt we would not be able to provide much in the way of help!” Papyrus had apparently realized that nothing important was being kept in any high cabinets because he was on his hands and knees digging through the disaster of pans kept under the stove. “Then, when we heard of the more recent developments, we had three flight cancellations!  _ Three! _ Slim even tried shortcutting again, and he nearly got himself stuck on top of the John Hancock Tower!”

Papyrus continued chattering on as he located tools and ingredients, and Sans relaxed as familiarity wove through the air. Eventually, he slid from Slim’s hold to sit instead at his side, clutching tightly to his arm. He could hardly believe they were here, and he wasn’t about to let them out of his sight even for a moment. It felt as though everything that had been falling apart was about to be fixed, and his mind was going to mend itself just through nostalgia. 

After a few minutes, Slim stood, carefully detaching himself from Sans’ grip and crossing the room to help prepare the food. Papyrus tried to wave him away, but he just snorted and started getting out cheese and bread. Sans forced away the burst of emotions at the realization that Papyrus was making grilled cheese and tomato soup, a meal Sans had professed as being his favorite years ago and that Papyrus had never forgotten. 

He considered getting up to help, but Papyrus glared over his shoulder that made him wonder if he could read his mind. God, he’d always been so perceptive, and now he was  _ here _ , and maybe he could see how Sans was feeling because he honestly had no idea and it would be great if someone could tell him--

“Did Red move out?”

Sans flinched at the loud voice so close to his face, going blue as he realized he’d completely blanked out in the span of time it’d taken for Papyrus to cross the room and set a finished bowl of soup in front of him. Across the room, Slim swore under his breath as, like a heathen, he picked up a grilled cheese sandwich with his bare hands and quickly transferred it to a plate before glancing back guiltily. Sans grinned, then turned back to his brother. 

“What?”

Papyrus shook his head, rolling his eyes at Slim’s antics before repeating the question. Sans shook his head slowly, distracted as Slim appeared at Sans’ side, balancing three plates. “No… he... uh… he still lives here -- Slim, do you need some help?”

“The Great and Terrible Slim has it handled,” he responded, ignoring the annoyed look Papyrus shot him. True to his word, he managed to deliver the food to the table, grinning proudly before plunking down in a chair and swiveling it so that he could keep an eye on the door. When he was settled, he picked up his still-hot sandwich and chomped into it. 

As Slim mumbled more choice words and glared at his plate like he was considering drop-kicking it, Papyrus finished serving the soup, sitting much more politely and throwing a napkin at Slim before asking Sans, “How are things going with him, by the way? Is he acting the way he was when we were here for Christmas? It has been too long since we have had the chance to talk.”

Sans could feel his skull heating up, and he stammered for a moment before stuffing his mouth with soup and making generally appreciative noises until both of the others were staring at him in confusion. “Are you okay?” 

Sans choked on his mouthful, giving them a thumbs-up as he forced himself to swallow. “Yup! I’m great! Red’s great! The house is great! There’s no… uh… yep!” 

The two continued to stare at him for a moment before Slim leaned over and stage-whispered, “Isn’t he supposed to be a good liar?”

“Isn’t whispering supposed to be quiet?” Papyrus shot back. Sans snickered, taking a loud slurp of soup as Papyrus shot him an appraising look. “Where is Red?” At that, Sans went still, allowing his spoon to rest against the bottom of his bowl and his gaze to lock on his lap. 

“He’s at the funeral.”

The room was quiet for a long moment before Slim spoke. “Why aren’t you at the funeral?” 

“He doesn’t des--” Sans said under his breath before cutting himself off with a sigh, rubbing at his sockets. Papyrus and Slim stayed silent, watching him as he gathered his thoughts. “He… I need to tell you, Paps --”

A soft pop, barely audible over Sans' voice, sounded from the living room. Immediately, he dropped his hands and glanced in the direction of the noise and realized, all too suddenly, who exactly was in the kitchen.

“Sans!” Red called.

Sans ignored the summons and grabbed  Slim’s arm to draw his attention. 

“I’m so sorry, I should have told you, but he’s been staying with us since Bl-- for a few weeks. I didn’t even think to warn you, but you should--” 

“What are you even talking about?”

Before Sans could reply, footsteps were approaching, the click of heels making Slim’s eyelights freeze even before Razz appeared in the doorway. Razz paused, staring in disbelief at the back of his brother’s head. 

“...Papyrus?”


	29. Maybe everyone will figure out a way to be happy despite the shit I've put them through

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> God, I can't believe there's only the epilogue left after this??
> 
> [Song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8U_Herq-M50) of the chapter

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beta'd by [Soul](undertailsoulsex.tumblr.com)!!!!

Sans’ grip on Slim’s arm tightened, eyes never leaving his face as he waited for any sign of a panic attack. Why wasn’t Papyrus moving? Sans had never been very good at handling Slim when he got upset, and especially not when he curled into a ball of miserable mental agony at even the mention of his brother. 

To Sans’ surprise, Slim took a deep breath, relaxing before flashing a comforting smile at Sans. He glanced at Papyrus, who in turn nodded encouragingly. Slim seemed to draw strength from his confidence, and he carefully tugged out of Sans’ hold to face Razz, who was hovering in the doorway uncertainly. 

“Sa--Razz.” Slim paused, standing slowly, shoulders set and back straight. “I didn’t expect you to be-- well, I--”

Razz stared up at him with wide eyes. Sans realized his mouth was hanging open and shut it with a soft  _ clack _ before turning to look questioningly at Papyrus. His brother was beaming, however, and watching Slim with no small amount of pride. 

“Red and Sans have been kind enough to allow me to stay here until other arrangements can be made,” Razz muttered. He seemed to be hovering between the desire to stand up straight and the need to make himself seem as small as possible. It may have been over two years since Slim and Razz had been face-to-face, but it was hard to forget the effect his presence used to have. 

Not that it wasn’t for a good reason. 

Red appeared in the doorway behind Razz, peering around to see who he was talking to. His expression lit up in relief upon seeing Sans, then morphed into confusion as he took in the other occupants of the room. Carefully, he nudged his way past Razz and into the kitchen as Slim spoke again. 

“Do you have any arrangements? Or… or ideas for them?”

Razz shook his head, distracted for a moment by Red brushing past him before he turned his attention back to his brother, eyes flicking to Papyrus for a moment before they returned to Slim. “Not yet. But… uh…” He reached up to smooth out Blue’s scarf as his eyes dropped to the ground. “I’ll likely… sell the apartment. Move on, somewhere. I don’t… why are you here?”

Slim’s back straightened, hands shoved in his pockets. “Can I… Is there somewhere we can talk? Alone?”

“Are you sure?!”

The question had jumped from Sans’ mouth before he really had a chance to think about it, and Slim snorted quietly at the expressions on his and Razz’s faces. “Yeah. I think it’s about time we had a… discussion.”

Out of the corner of his eye, Sans saw Razz stiffen, fingers clenching into the scarf as he stared at Slim blankly. Sans shot him a confused look, then turned back to Slim, studying his face carefully. “...Do you want--”

“They’ll be fine, Sans,” Papyrus said as he rose to his feet and picked up his dishes. When he reached the sink, he continued, “The back porch would be as good a place to talk as any, am I correct?” 

Sans nodded, flabbergasted, and Slim peeked shortly at Papyrus before taking a step in Razz’s direction. To Sans’ surprise, Razz flinched, eyelights flashing as his magic flared. He took a deep breath, stepping back and out of the way so that Slim could pass by. 

“Lead the way,” he said, voice soft as he gestured to the back door. Slim nodded, slipping past and leading him outside. 

~~~

Razz caught himself tugging on the edges of his gloves as he proceeded through the back door. He forced himself not to check behind him as the door clicked shut with all the finality of a human’s closing grave.

They were both entirely silent, and tears filled his eyes as they darted down to his feet. The porch was made of wooden slats, the gaps between the boards wide enough to see the grass and weeds growing beneath the surface. He searched along the ground, eyes finally alighting on a small, white flower among all the green as he heard Slim take a few steps closer.

Before he could say anything, Razz drew in a sharp breath, raising his chin to gaze out over the yard as he said, with as much careful clarity as he could muster, “I-I know you don’t owe me anything, but can you please tell them… tell them I’d like my dust spread over Blue’s?” Slim came to an abrupt stop behind him, the porch’s boards creaking under his weight. Razz blinked back tears. “If… If Stretch will allow it. That’s what I would prefer.”

“What are you talking about?”

Razz was floored, for a moment, by the honest confusion in the other’s voice, and he looked over his shoulder to see Slim staring at him like he’d grown a third arm. He swallowed thickly, resisting the urge to flatten the cloth around his neck again. 

“Didn’t you bring me out here to… to kill me? I can’t say that I… It will not be the painful sort of revenge that it must seem, but I can still understand--” 

“Fuck, m’l--Razz.” Slim sounded so tired, reaching up to rub at his sockets as Razz turned to face him, confused. “I’m not here to-- I wanted to offer help, if you’ll take it.”

“...What?”

Slim stared up at him, heaving another sigh as he took in the expression on his face. “You know… it’s hard to look at you and even… _ imagine _ you as the… as who you used to be. If it wasn’t for that stars-damned scar, you could just be  _ any _ of them.” He paused for a while, quietly snorting as Razz just stared at him in disbelief. “He never let me know him well, but Blue was a determined bastard, wasn’t he?”

Razz could only nod, watching Slim in complete confusion, emotions roiling. The funeral hadn’t been nearly as painful as he had expected; while he had thought spreading Blue’s dust over a piece of cloth would feel  _ wrong _ , it hadn’t, really. He had watched quietly as Blue’s friends and family exchanged words of comfort, nodding in response to the well-wishes he had received until it had been time for Red to bring him back. It hadn’t felt any more “real”. The harsh reality had already crashed upon him the moment a part of his soul had turned to dust. 

“You’re completely different, you know,” Slim said quietly. “Your… your whole _ energy  _ is different. When I last saw you, at the wedding, you seemed like you were… changing. But I had no idea how much.”

“You still wanted to offer me help? Despite not knowing?”

Shifting in place, Slim shrugged awkwardly. “I was going to offer  _ something _ . I wasn’t sure how much, until I’d seen you. Paps said… Well, it’s up to me, how much I want to help. He’s… he’s good that way.”

Razz took a deep breath, studying Slim more carefully. He was less broad around the shoulders, he noticed, and he was meeting his eyelights head-on, something Razz suddenly realized hadn’t happened since they were children. His hands weren’t shaking, and he stood tall, with new confidence. “He seems to have helped you quite drastically.”

“Yes,” Slim said, mouth twitching up into a smirk. “He certainly has. If we’re talking about determined bastards, Paps could give your Blue a run for his money.” 

Despite himself, Razz grinned, eyes dropping before he reached for the hems of his gloves, tugging them up on his arms. Left. Right. Left again. “So… what have you decided?” He tried not to stand too stiff, worried that any aura of command would drop his brother back into old habits. 

“Did you know that I’ve been interviewing for a doctorate program?”

Confused by the sudden subject change, Razz shook his head. “No, I… I knew you were approaching the end of your masters. You’re a psychology major, right?”

Slim nodded, eyelights brightening a fraction. “Yes! I’m surprised you know that.”

“Sans talks about the two of you a lot. And I’d… I’d ask Blue, since Sans would tell him about it.” He looked down at his feet again before glancing up, fighting off the embarrassed flush cropping up on his face. “I wanted to… keep up on things. I’m--proudofyou,” he said quickly, fidgeting uncomfortably. 

Slim seemed like he was fighting a smile, arms crossing as they both avoided eye contact for a moment. “W-well, I don’t know how much you know about graduate students, but we’re always broke.”

Razz raised a brow at that, staying silent. Slim glanced down at him, working his jaw. 

“I know you never finished your doctorate. And since I’m going to be paying out more for my new program, we might have some trouble paying housing costs. It’s… basically the one thing not covered in my scholarship.” His arms dropped to his sides, allowing them to hover over his hips like he was on the edge of placing them there before he settled them at his sides. “We could… use a roommate, if you’d consider it.”

~~~

As the door closed behind them, Papyrus let out a rush of breath, and Sans saw that he was clutching the edge of the counter, eyes squeezed shut. “He’ll be okay,” he said again, more to himself this time. “It’s been over a  _ year _ since his last big… well. He… We weren’t really expecting to see Razz this soon, but…” He opened his eyes, finally, and looked back at Sans and Red before starting on his dishes. “He handled it perfectly.”

“...That’s a lot of progress,” Red remarked quietly, shifting to the side to attempt to glimpse the two outside. 

Papyrus nodded, drying his hands before turning back to the other two. He was silent for a moment, regarding the two of them carefully.

“He wants to help him,” Papyrus said. “I’m not proud, but I did try to convince him that perhaps we should leave it, let him take care of himself.”

Sans raised a brow, surprised. “Where did all the forgiveness come from?” 

Tapping his fingers on the counter behind him, Papyrus pursed his mouth in thought. “I’m not entirely sure, myself. He didn’t want to come when Fell was sick, to make things more complicated for Stretch. But when we got your phone call, Red, he just… I mean, I was  _ of course _ going to come back up here for you, Sans, to make sure you were recovering adequately, but Slim wanted to check on Razz, as well.” 

Sans flashed Red a suspicious glance, though Red was avoiding eye contact. He supposed he should have told Papyrus what was going on himself, but he hadn’t wanted to worry him. Why had Red--

“--hoping he will want to do so. I know that their relationship was somewhat… symbiotic, so it can’t be healthy for him to be without a caretaker.” Sans realized Papyrus was still talking, and tuned back into the conversation, catching his eye. “Anyway, while we’re waiting…” Papyrus grinned, placing his hands proudly on his hips as he stared the two of them down. “Do you require my help in assisting your relationship?”

Sans stared at his brother wide-eyed as Red spluttered beside him, stepping back so quickly he bumped into the chair behind him, causing a loud screech that had Sans wincing even harder. “What are you talking about, bro?” 

“You complain often, Sans, don’t pretend you don’t!” One hand came up from its place on his hip to be pressed to his puffed-up chest, beaming down at the two of them with all the confidence that made him who he was. “The first step in a healthy living situation is openness and honesty  between roommates! If you do not admit to what is bothering you, you will never resolve the issues!” 

Sans had no idea whether or not he should laugh, and the expression on Red’s face wasn’t helping matters. Fighting the urge, he leaned over, speaking under his breath so that Papyrus couldn’t hear. “Honestly and openly, you take a long time to org--”

Snorting loudly, Red clapped a hand over his eyes as he took another step back, sitting down when his backs of his knees hit the chair behind him. “I can’t even… what is  _ happening _ right now?”

“Should we resolve the issue, Red?” 

“I  _ swear to Asgore _ , Sans…” 

“You shouldn’t swear in front of Paps, that tends to rock his boat.” 

“I’m gonna rock  _ your _ fu--”

Papyrus cleared his throat loudly, and Red removed the hand over his sockets to peek up at the others, catching Sans’ eyes with an unabashed grin and rolling his eyes before Papyrus spoke up proudly, “I see that you have progressed to witty banter! That is certainly a step in the right direction!” 

“What direction is that, exactly?” Red grumbled, resisting more wholly inappropriate laughter as Sans shot him another Look. 

“The Perfect Housemates!” His hands blocked out the invisible words as though he was planning to put them on a sign and hang it in the living room. Sans honestly wouldn’t put it past him, and he pressed a hand to his mouth to stifle more giggles. Red’s expression shifted into something that might have been affection, then he rolled his eyes again, turning to smirk at Papyrus. 

“Honestly, man, the only thing that would make Sans the perfect housemate is if he’d stop leaving his socks in my laundry basket.”

Sans was snorting now, the utter lack of control he’d had over his emotions for the past few weeks apparently taking its toll in much more pleasant ways. “Those are your socks!”

“Exactly! Why are you wearing my socks and  _ putting them where they actually go _ ?! I have a reputation to consider!”

“What reputation?! Biggest Asshole Ever?!”

“Excuse you!” Red was snickering at him, reaching up to steady Sans’ shoulder as he was nearly doubled over in laughter. “That’s only my secondary title!” 

“After what? Annoying Boyfriend Extraordinaire?”

“I was gonna say Best Di--” 

He was cut off, very suddenly, by a screech, causing both of them to jump violently and spin to face the source of the noise. Red’s grip on his shoulder tightened protectively, nearly pulling Sans down into his own chair with the sudden jerk. 

Papyrus was staring at them with his hands clasped together under his chin, his normally steady eyelights transformed into large stars. “Did you say ‘boyfriend’?!”

Sans’ face was flooded with warmth as he realized what he’d just said. He glanced over at Red to see him widely grinning. They only looked at each other for a moment before Red’s grip on him loosened, his hand dropping to his own lap as he leaned back in his chair.

“Y’know, Papyrus, I think he did.”

Before Papyrus could respond, Sans picked up his grilled cheese and tossed it at the other with a half-hearted glare. Deftly catching the sandwich, Red snickered, and Sans could practically  _ feel _ the sigh from his brother at the improper use of his culinary artistry. 

“I don’t know  _ why _ ,” Sans mumbled, rolling his eyes as Red took a bite. Red winked at him, and Sans took that as his cue to stand up. Papyrus was still staring at him with those starry eyelights, and Sans sighed, holding back another smile.

“Yeah, Paps. I think we’re probably good on the ‘getting along’ front.”

“Slim owes me 20G!” Papyrus yelled as he scooped Sans up, swung him around, and set him back on his feet before he’d really even had a chance to react. Red scrambled back and out of his chair as Papyrus’s eyes shifted over to him, probably wary of receiving the same treatment.

“I have to say, I was beginning to have my doubts!” 

Sans and Red exchanged confused looks. “Didn’t you think we hated each other?”

“All of the best relationships in popular media begin after long-term animosity is resolved!” Papyrus proclaimed, throwing his arms wide with excitement. “I knew it would reach this point! Or, at least, I hoped so! The solitary downside to having no desire for romantic connections means that I will never have the opportunity to participate in the harrowing process of planning a wedding, so I have decided that yours would be--”

“Whoa there, Paps!” Sans said, holding out his hands in the hope that the other would take a breath. “Slow your roll. It’s a little early for that sort of thing! It’s only been two months!”

“I mean…” Red chimed in with a near-sadistic leer. “It depends on exactly what we’re counting, here.”

Sans gave an exasperated sigh. “No.”

“I must ask!” Papyrus said excitedly, grabbing a chair and plopping down into it so that he was barely shorter than Sans, even though he was standing. “How  _ did _ this happen?”

~~~

“You… you want me to  _ what? _ ”

Slim smirked before forcing his expression to be more serious. “I mean, you may as well go back to college, right? I remember you were pretty close to finishing before shit went down, and because of the high population of monsters on campus, Harvard has developed a program to help transition Underground schooling into actual transferrable credits--”

“Are you sure?” Razz asked, voice cracking on the last word. Slim nodded, grin returning. Razz’s breath hitched and his head fell into his hands as he did his best to hold back his emotions.  _ Three years _ . Three years of avoidance, of regret, of late-night confessions to his soulmate about how much he  _ wished _ \--

He jumped as something gripped his shoulder, and his hands flew down to see that Slim was crouching in front of him, a wry smile gracing his face. “I know there’s been a lot of shit. We… well, we never really had the chance to be brothers, but despite what you’ve done, you’re still my family. We’ve both changed, and…” His eyelights dropped in thought, and he set his jaw before he continued, expression filled with determination. “I’ve long since forgiven you, Sans. Come back with us, make a future for yourself. You don’t have to burn out here.”

Razz studied Slim’s face, taking in the cracks and dents that he’d put there, the resilience in his eyes that Slim had somehow found despite everything. He looked at his little brother, finding no hint of the monster he had once been. 

All he could bring himself to do was nod. 

Suddenly, from inside the house, there came a loud screech, causing them both to jump and search for the source of the noise. They heard Papyrus yell something unintelligible, then Razz caught a brief glimpse of Sans being swung through the air, the shock on his face prompting a disbelieving snicker. 

“Shit,” Slim said, removing his hand from Razz’s shoulder and standing back up to his full height again as he made a face at the window. His eyes jumped back down to Razz, one brow raised. “I don’t suppose there are any new couples around here, are there?” 

Brow furrowing in confusion, Razz said, “Yes? Sans and Red have been--”

Slim swore under his breath again, but it was paired with a lighthearted grin. “I guess I owe Paps 20G.”

Razz laughed in disbelief, the sound loud and clear. He noticed the way Slim’s expression shifted, staring down at him like he’d never seen him before. For a split second, Razz was confused by his reaction until he realized that he didn’t think he’d ever laughed like that in front of his brother before. 

“Why are you betting on Red and Sans?”

A slow smile was growing across Slim’s face and he shrugged. “Paps was convinced they’d get together at some point. I thought they hated each other. Guess I was wrong.”

Razz snorted. “I thought the same until I walked in on them fucking in the damn kitchen. The idiots were just screwing around, in complete denial.” Slim made a face, and Razz nodded vigorously, gesturing in disgust at the house. “Yeah, we were having a perfectly nice dinner party, and there they were, entertaining themselves. Then they had the gall to tell me they were succeeding in keeping things platonic, but the Magnificent Sans cannot be tricked!” He ended the sentence with a flourish, only realizing that his voice had grown in volume when Slim started to laugh at him, shaking his head before glancing back through the door. 

“I’m glad Sans finally…” he trailed off, sighing contentedly, shoving his hands in his pockets. “He deserves to be happy, after all the shit he’s gone through.” Razz opened his mouth to respond, but Slim shifted, regarding him softly out of the corner of his eye. “So do you.” 

Razz said nothing at first, keeping eye contact for a moment before he looked back at the house. Almost without his noticing, Razz’s hand rose to brush softly against Blue’s scarf. The air was cool against his exposed bones, and he could still hear voices echoing from inside the house. Slim fidgeted beside him, pulling one hand from his pocket to flick something from the sleeve of his jacket. Finally, Razz spoke. 

“I’m glad that you’ve found your happiness, despite me.” 

“Despite you, huh?” Slim moved again, and Razz’s eyes darted up to see him peering down at him, something soft in his eyelights. “Maybe we can start over. I have nothing against finding something positive with you around, instead of this ‘despite you’ bullshit.” 

Razz smiled, feeling a strange pulse of happiness rush through his soul. 

“I’d like that.”


	30. I Can't Believe It's Over And Nobody Died Like At All Right Wow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Happy birthday to me! Happy birthday to meeeee!!!! So here's your guys' present! lol I know how long we've all been waiting for this to end, me most of all, and I can't believe the day is actually here. Thank you all so much for your support in this story and this world, it's all meant the world to me. 
> 
> And now, I hope you enjoy.
> 
> The Epilogue, String Theory.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Special Thanks to [Soul](http://undertailsoulsex.tumblr.com) for being the beta for the last few chapters. 
> 
> Special, Special, Super Extra Giant Mega Thanks to [Becky](http://beckyshecky.tumblr.com) for the amazing support they have given me. I cannot even express how much it means to me to have their friendship, and I cannot thank you enough for the AMAZING art you have made for this story.  
> And then just fuck [Fresh](http://ollie-oxen-free.tumblr.com) and [Ollie](http://queenofbiscuits.tumblr.com) they're my best friends and they supported this shit so much guys they're wonderful but still assholes but hey it's like 2am so fuck them <3.

#  ****

“...So you mix the powders together  _ before _ you add them to the batter?”

“ _ Yes,  _ Red.”

“...But won’t it all just get mixed together when you--”

“OH FOR FUCK’S SAKES!”

Sans snickered as Fell stomped out of the kitchen and into the living room, wrists balanced on his hips and frown firmly in place, every inch the disapproving grandmotherly figure. At the thought, Sans unsuccessfully tried to muffle another round of snorts, drawing Fell’s glare.

“What?!”

Doing his best not to laugh, Sans leaned up from his place on the couch and gestured at Fell’s posture. “We need to get you an apron that says ‘Kiss my--”

“Shut up, you’re worse than him!”

As Sans choked back a snort, Red appeared in the doorway, grinning and flour covering his shirt. The glimmer in his eyes made it damn obvious that he was going to say something meant to piss off his brother, but as he  opened his mouth, the sound of Stretch’s shushing came down the stairs. They all swiveled toward him guiltily, then traded looks before Red shrugged and headed into the kitchen again.

Fell glowered after him, then directed his ire back to Sans, who was sitting on his couch with his legs curled up to his chest, probably looking entirely too comfortable. Sans just grinned and waved. Fell made a disgusted noise before storming into the kitchen. 

In the two months since Razz, Slim, and Papyrus had returned to school, things had been eerily normal. It was hard to remember that they were missing two members of their small, strange family when they were, for the most part, staying at home or going to work. 

Evidently, caring for a child was a time-consuming activity, and Sans and Red had barely interacted with Stretch and Fell. There certainly hadn’t been an opportunity to hold one of their “dinners”, and no one had made mention of it until late last week, when Fell had called Red in a fit of desperation, begging them to come over and relieve some of the monotony.

They’d shown up past dinnertime, armed with cookie cutters they’d found in the bottom of the silverware drawer, and Fell had immediately set about trying to teach his brother how to bake.

It was becoming increasingly evident that Fell was more likely to set Red on fire than actually get around to making edible cookies.

All was quiet for a moment, save for the arguing in the other room, when Sans heard a door open and close upstairs. His eyes flickered over to see Stretch carefully descending, cradling Corbel in his arms, the bone under his eyes stained orange with exhaustion. When he caught sight of Sans, he stopped, staring at him blankly for a moment before awareness caught up and he forced a grin.

“Heya, Sansy. What are you up to?”

Sans eyed him, pity welling up despite himself. According to what Red had told him, these days, Fell was a deep sleeper and Stretch would wake up at the drop of a pin. Apparently, those weren’t fantastic conditions to care for a newborn. He grinned at Sans anyway.

“Awaiting fratricide.”

Stretch snorted, then adjusted Corbel so he could rub at his eyes. After watching him for a moment, Sans pushed himself to his feet.

“I can take him for a sec, if you wanna get some peace.”

The expression Stretch flashed him was akin to what a dying man in the desert might have should someone give them a flask of water.. Sans held out his arms, and Stretch gingerly transferred over the sleeping infant, checking to make sure he was settled securely before nodding his thanks and making his way into the kitchen.

Corbel twitched, his sockets fluttering for a moment before he settled back down. Sans held him a bit tighter, smiling softly down at him as he made his way to the couch, sitting carefully so that he wouldn’t jostle the child.

He could hear the others murmuring in the kitchen, but couldn’t distinguish the words until Red poked his head around the doorway with a grin. “I heard you have a baby?”

Sans snickered. “I’m pretty sure you’d be the first person I’d tell if I had a baby, Red.”

“Well, I should hope so,” he said, dusting flour off of his shirt onto the living room floor as he came to take a knee beside the couch, peering down at his nephew. “Fuck, he’s cute.”

Nodding, Sans sat up slightly, scooting to one side so that Red could join him on the couch. After doing so, Red slung his arm over Sans’ shoulders, hesitating for a moment before tugging him sideways into a quick kiss. Surprised at the rare display of PDA, Sans raised a brow, opening his mouth to ask what had come over him when he was interrupted by a gasp from the kitchen.

Puzzled, his eyes darted over to see Fell standing in the doorway, staring at them with wide eyes.

“Since when the fuck do you two  _ kiss _ ?!”

Red shifted uncomfortably beside him, making to stand, but paused when Stretch appeared beside Fell in the doorway. Sans had no idea how he’d had time to even touch the baking ingredients, but somehow, there was a blob of dough stuck to his nose ridge.

“What’s going on?”

Fell was still scowling at his brother, but Red was avoiding his eyes as he took a seat on the arm of the couch. Everyone was quiet for a moment, and then Fell turned to face Stretch, eyelights sparking with disbelief.

“They kissed!”

“...In front of the baby?”

“That’s not the point!” Fell said, making a face as he whirled back to face Sans and Red. “Are you…  _ together _ ?” His eyelights were flashing, and he frowned in confusion as he seemed to be trying to get a handle on himself. Fingers twitching as though he wanted to clench them into fists, Fell’s grimace grew as the silence stretched out.

“Yeah. We are,” Red said finally, awkwardly reaching down to pat the top of Sans’ head. As Sans shot him a Look, he caught sight of Fell glaring at the ground.

Sighing tiredly, Stretch leaned against the doorjamb with folded arms. Sans watched him with concern, his hold on Corbel tightening slightly before he realized what he was doing and forced himself to relax. Was it just because they’d put off telling anyone? They’d been  _ recovering _ , it’d only made sense… Or did… did Fell really dislike him that much?

“I think I remember Blue mentioning something about it.”

As Stretch spoke, Fell’s mouth tightened, understanding crossing his face before fading into dejection. He opened his mouth, and Sans felt himself stiffening again, in preparation of his verdict.

“If you hurt him, I’ll rip your spine out through your pelvis.”

Sans struggled not to make a face.  _ Fucking violent-ass-- _

Taking a deep breath and forcing the thought out of his mind, he nodded. “Understandable.”

Fell shifted his jaw, peering between the two of them. “I wasn’t talking to--” He cut himself off, groaning in frustration, and Stretch reached out with an arm on his shoulder. Fell shook it off, then hesitated, shooting him an apologetic look before focusing again on Sans and Red.

“I was talking to both of you.”

... _ Oh _ .

“Got it, Boss,” Red mumbled, and Fell gave him a tense nod before turning back into the kitchen, disappearing from view. Stretch watched him go, then focused on Red and Sans, face fallen.

“He’d… be happy for you. He  _ is  _ happy for you. It’s just--”

“Yeah,” Sans replied, glancing sideways at the unreadable expression on Red’s face. “We know.”

~~~

Red tapped the end of his pen against his teeth, glaring down at his paperwork with tired eyes. Stupid fuckin’ complicated godparent bullshi--

He jumped as Sans’ laptop beeped and the screen lit up with a video call. Red glared at the computer for a moment before it clicked.

“Sans!” he called up to the bedroom as he straightened in his chair and set his pen aside before pushing off from the table. The wheeled chair propelled across the kitchen and he barely caught himself from crashing into the counter. He hit accept, unable to stop grinning as he heard Sans coming down the stairs.

As the screen loaded, the image of Papyrus leaning forward over his desk appeared. He was twisted around, peering over his shoulder as the call connected, and Red could hear Slim in the background, talking loudly about something he couldn’t even pretend to understand. Papyrus rolled his eyes, then faced them again, smiling widely as he saw Red.

“Hello! How are you today?”

“Peachy-keen, Paps. I think Sans is on his way, if you--”

“Papyrus!” Red glanced behind him to see Sans in the doorway, positively beaming. Instead of just walking like a normal person, he took a shortcut directly in front of Red, plopping down to sit in his lap so that he could get a better view of his brother. “How have you been?!”

Grin widening as he saw his brother, Papyrus settled down into the desk chair, opening his mouth to answer before Slim appeared, shoving his face in front of Papyrus’ and covering nearly the entire screen with his own beaming face.

“I got accepted!”

Sans tilted his head, and Red snickered, peeking around his shoulder to better view the screen.

“Accepted to what?” Sans asked, still looking confused. Then his face cleared, and he leaned forward so fast he nearly fell out of the chair. “Your doctorate program?!”

An annoyed Papyrus shoved Slim out of the way, and somewhere off-screen Slim released a deep laugh that had Red smiling. After he finished rolling his eyes, Papyrus turned back to the screen.

“Yes, he did!”

“I did!” Slim yelled, and he popped behind Papyrus’ chair, propping his elbows on the backrest and blowing forcefully on his neck. While Papyrus was busy smacking Slim, another face appeared in the upper corner of the screen, upside-down as though he was either hanging from a top bunk or somehow floating in midair. As much as Red would have loved for it to be the latter, he somehow doubted that Razz had learned that particular skill in Asshole 101 or whatever classes he was taking nowadays.

“Who are you guys--oh!” The face disappeared, then there was a muffled  _ thump _ , and Razz popped up beside the others. “Hello!”

Sans returned the greeting with a grin and asked about his credit transfers as Red studied his face. His black tank top showed off his scarred arms, and Blue’s scarf around his neck stood out against the dark clothing. Though he was smiling, Red couldn’t help but notice the dark circles under his eyes and the way his fingers couldn’t seem to stay still where they rested against the surface of the desk.

He supposed it was an improvement, though, from the broken shell that had left their home nearly half a year before.

“...and it turns out that we  _ should _ all graduate at about the same time! Slim’s program will take a little longer, but only by a semester or two. We’ll have to move into off-campus housing for that, but we should be fine. We still have over a year, after all!”

Papyrus was talking, his voice filling the speakers with his excitement, and Red glanced over to see Slim watching the screen quietly, his face relaxed and his expression almost mindless.

“That’s great, Paps!” Sans replied, and Red felt him shifting on his lap, scooting forward on the chair. Carefully, Red pulled a leg up, maneuvering so that they were sitting side by side. Red reached for his paperwork, pulling it closer so that he could keep working, peeking up every so often to respond to questions. He couldn’t keep down his smile at the tone of Sans’ voice. It’d been too long since they’d heard from the others, and even if they hadn’t explicitly talked about it, he knew Sans had been worried. To be perfectly honest, he had been concerned too.

But… for now, at least, it really seemed like everyone was going to be okay.

~~~

“Twelve orders of the Burg, please, Muff,” Stretch said, then turned to the others at the table. “Do you guys want anything?”

Red snorted, but Fell and Muffet exchanged long-suffering glances, the practice seeming all too familiar considering the shit-eating grin Stretch was shooting them both. “I’ll bring you three double orders of your usuals, and  _ he _ \--” Muffet mock-glared at Stretch, “--can pick up the scraps.”

Propping his elbows on the table, Stretch batted his eyes at his friend. “C’mon, have some pity. I’m a working mother, after all.”

“You are neither a mother nor working,” Fell grumbled, his magic lifting and handing over his menu. “Take no pity, Muffet. He tried to hire my brother as a babysitter for a lunch that said brother was invited to.”

“Is that still an option?” Red asked, then devolved back into snickers at the sigh Fell directed at him. Muffet giggled, then whipped out her notepad, taking note of their real orders before going into the kitchen, leaving behind a tense silence in her wake.

Red’s eyes darted between his brother and Stretch, then aimed his gaze to his right at Sans. They were all avoiding everyone else’s eyes, and he sighed in annoyance before pulling his feet up so that he was sitting cross-legged on the booth seat.

Fell’s eyes flicked to him in annoyance, and he immediately took advantage of the fact, leaning forward to keep the eye contact as he said, “Okay, what’s the deal?”

He heard Sans attempting to kick him under the table and hitting the table leg instead, and turned to look at him as he very deliberately placed his feet back on the floor. Sans flushed lightly, then flipped him off under the table before returning his attention to where Stretch and Fell were both watching them carefully.

“I would like to apologize,” Fell said. His eyes flicked to Red, then down at the napkin his magic was currently in the process of shredding onto the tablecloth. “I behaved irrationally to entirely unexpected news, and I did not want you to think that I would begrudge you any happiness.”

Red could only stare at his brother for a moment. “What?”

Before Fell could answer, Muffet had returned, holding their food skillfully on four of her hands while another held a tray with their drinks. They were all silent as she placed the plates, Fell’s brow scrunched as he glared down at his lap. Stretch murmured his appreciation for the food, and, apparently sensing the awkward atmosphere, Muffet was quick to take her leave.

“I… have to admit, I never imagined that the two of you…” Fell sighed, eyes still directed downward. “I thought that you despised one another. And there is a part of me that thought I would have my brother to myself for the rest of my life, though that is entirely selfish since he must share me, but… there is another part of this that I just…” He gestured vaguely as he seemed to be searching for the right words to say what he needed to. “I’m learning to differentiate the feelings that come to me from Blue’s magic, and those that come from myself, and it came to my attention, when I received your news, that Blue and I both sought to protect a member of your… partnership.”

Sans was already nodding.

Fell, ever observant, paused to study the smallest skeleton at the table. “...but this comes as no surprise to you?”

Shifting uncomfortably, Sans’ eyes darted towards Stretch, who appeared equally unsurprised.“Blue and I… had a complicated relationship.”

“I’d have given the two of you my bottom dollar to uncomplicate that mess and ride off into the sunset,” Stretch sighed, gazing off into the distance as though recalling his fondest memory.Then Fell cleared his throat, and Stretch cut his gaze to Red. “Uh… no offense, bud.”

Red just rolled his eyes, popping a fry into his mouth and following it with a gratuitous squeeze of mustard directly onto his tongue before wiping his mouth on his sleeve.

“Charming,” Fell said with a straight face before turning back to Sans. “I can see why you chose the way you did. It wouldn’t do to miss the opportunity to be the most civilized monster in the room every time you’re alone with your partner. I find myself enjoying it immensely.”

“Hey, I pan be fivilived,” said Stretch through a mouthful of pastry, and Fell threw him a long-suffering glare.

Red snorted at the exchange, then picked up another fry, letting it dangle between two fingers like a cigarette as he said, “I say, good  _ day, _ sir!”

There was a long silence, during which Sans unsuccessfully tried to cover his snorting by shoving his face into his own elbow.

Fell sighed loudly, prompting a loud round of guffaws from the other three at the table. “I suppose I will be the  _ only _ civilized one, then.”

“Quite right, and absolutely spiff--”

“Shut the fuck up, Red. Sans,  _ why?” _

Despite the tone of the conversation, Red was startled to notice an edge of honest curiosity in Fell’s eyes. After a bit more snickering, Stretch turned to stare curiously him, too, and Sans faltered. How the fuck was he supposed to answer something like  _ that? _

Red grinned widely, tossing an arm over Sans’ shoulder and leering across the table at his brother. “It’s the sex. It’s mind-blowing. He saw my dick like once and I had to tell him I just wasn’t available for marriage at the moment.”

Stretch exploded in laughter as Sans shoved his arm away, grumbling under his breath as his face flamed up blue. “Says the one singing Ed Sheeran in the--”

“Sans!”

Red’s voice came out a few pitches higher than normal, and Stretch devolved to wheezing, smacking the table in his hilarity. They all just watched him for a moment until Fell shot a smirk at his brother and turned back to Stretch.

“That wasn’t that funny, Stretch. We all know Red is a dream-struck fool.” When Stretch didn’t reply, continuing to wheeze, Fell just sighed. “I never thought I would say this, but I think you need to sleep.”

As Stretch took a few deep breaths, trying in vain to calm himself down, Red felt something brush against the hand in his lap. Without a word, he twisted his wrist, capturing Sans’ hand in his own and squeezing tightly.

It didn’t matter, he supposed, if neither of them could put words to why this worked. It just...did. The hand in his fit like it was meant to be there, and all he could think, as he glanced over to see Sans studiously not looking at him, was how fucking  _ happy _ that made him.

For the first time, he couldn’t wait to find out what the future held.

~~~

Standing in the doorway of his own room, Sans passed a critical eye over the contents. It was a fucking disaster, of course, but it’s not like Red’s room was any different. If he was being entirely honest, he had no clue  _ how _ it had gotten this messy, seeing as he’d barely set foot in it since he and Red had started dating. Apparently Papyrus’ theories were right: he  _ did _ magically generate garbage wherever he went.

He sighed quietly, stepping in and closing the door behind him. It really wasn’t  _ that _ bad, and especially not for his standards, but it was one of those rare days where his boredom was outweighing his apathy. He’d gotten tired of all his usual time-wasting activities and had lapsed quite suddenly into productivity. The dishes were done, the living room was vacuumed, and now he was here.

But even now he couldn’t summon up the will to actually  _ clean his room _ .

Instead, he crossed the room to his dresser and pulled open the drawers in search of any clean clothes. Upon finding just about nothing, he heaved another deep sigh, picked up a slightly misshapen lamp that was sitting on top of the dresser, and exited the room. Balancing the lamp carefully, he walked down the hall and kicked Red’s door open to reveal an empty room. Red had taken the late shift to cover for one of his coworkers. 

Grinning to himself, Sans placed the lamp in a corner and plugged it in. When he was done, he stepped backwards and put his hands on his hips.

There. That counted as moving in, right? Now he didn’t have to clean his room. This was his room, now. 

He peeked over his shoulder. Okay, so maybe he should clean  _ someone’s _ room, at least. Maybe he could… do his laundry? He doubted Red would protest having Sans store his clothes in here. He complained enough about Sans stealing  _ his _ clothes, it should be a win-win!

Sans returned to his own room and proceeded to pick his clothes off the floor and toss them inside an empty laundry basket. When he was done, he went downstairs and shoved a giant mass of clothes into the washer, realizing only after he’d already added the detergent that he’d forgotten to sort the colors. Ah, well, it wasn’t like that actually mattered anyway, right? 

He caught himself jogging up the stairs and made a face as he forced himself to slow down. There was no reason to use up extra energy, was there? This was just fuckin’ weird.

Stepping into Red’s room, he frowned at the mess on the floor. Maybe he should just…

Two hours later and he found himself halfway under the bed, tossing wrappers out behind him in the general direction of the garbage sack he’d brought up after the first time he’d switched the laundry. He heard the front door open and grinned, then let out a huff of frustration as he realized he couldn’t reach one of the pieces of garbage tucked in the back corner behind the all-too-familiar “toybox”.

Red yelled up something undecipherable, and he elected to ignore it, stretching his body out as far as it could go in order to remove the trash. Fucking short-ass arms on his tiny-ass body… 

He groaned loudly, then wriggled backwards on his stomach as he grabbed ahold of the box, tugging it out from under the bed and setting it up on the mattress just as Red appeared in the doorway.

They just stared at each other for a moment, then Red’s eyes dropped to the box, then the floor, taking in the lack of a mess, then the new lamp, and the neatly folded, and piled stack of Sans’ clothes on top of his dresser. When his gaze returned to meet Sans’, Red grinned widely, leaning casually against the doorway with his hip cocked out like an asshole.

“Well, hello there, gorgeous.”

Sans sighed and rolled his eyes, suppressing a smile. “Shut up, it’s not funny.”

Red sniggered, but before he could say anything to the contrary, Sans’ stomach roiled.  _ Congratulations genius, you don’t have a stomach, it can’t be-- _

_ Fuck _ .

With a  _ crack _ of teleportation, Sans left Red alone and confused in the bedroom, appearing instead in the bathroom, bent forward over their previously unused toilet. His nonexistent insides rebelled again, and he coughed, resisting the urge to expel what tasted like sour magic. Red knocked on the door, asking if he was okay in a worried sort of voice that made Sans….well, not smile. It was probably more of a grimace. But it was the thought that counted. 

“I’m fine!” he groaned out, definitely not fine. 

Humming doubtfully, Red cracked open the door, peering in at Sans, who still had his cheek to the bowl. Sans tried another smile. 

Apparently it didn’t go over well.

Red huffed, opening the door the rest of the way and kneeling next to him. “Does this mean you’re actually allergic to cleaning?” As Sans huffed out a laugh, Red gently slid his arms under Sans’ shoulders and knees, lifting him to his chest and shooting him another worried look. 

“If I throw up on you, we can shower together,” Sans suggested.

Strangely enough, Red didn’t deign to respond.

~

Sans trailed his fingers along the side of Red’s skull, smiling at the loud snores interrupting the peaceful silence. The air was filled with the soft sound of TV static, Sans having been far too comfortable right where he was to pop the movie out and get a new one. 

Red had fallen asleep somewhere around the first half hour of the movie, head tucked into Sans’ chest and gripping tightly onto the blanket wrapped around them both. While the snoring had put a bit of a damper in actually  _ hearing _ the movie, Sans really hadn’t wanted to wake him up. He just...looked so peaceful like this. 

How many times had the other tossed and turned in his sleep, whimpering under his breath, latching onto Sans just a little too tightly? How many nightmares, how many mornings started with screaming himself awake? 

At least as many as Sans. 

Huffing out a laugh, he rolled just a bit to the side, freeing his hip from the pressure of Red’s body resting on it. They really made quite the pair, didn’t they?

Red shifted again, removing one arm from where it had been resting on Sans’ other half, cuddling instead into his side Sans smiled as he watched him, the little shifts of his face, the way his arms flexed, just for a-- _ oof! _

Sans just barely managed to shortcut through the air before he hit the floor, biting back a laugh as he landed on his feet. Red stretched out contentedly, apparently unconcerned with any possible injury to his sleeping companion. 

“You’re such a dick,” Sans whispered, then rolled his eyes as Red nuzzled into the pillow at his head. Ah, well. 

The stairs proved to be a more treacherous journey than he had anticipated, his tiredness making every step a hazard. The hallway was much easier, he thought, just a straight shot down the hallway, opening the medicine cabinet. Fell had been infomercialing his way around the houses of everyone they knew, aggressively encouraging the use of melatonin for abnormal sleep schedules, and of course they’d ended up with about 12 bottles of it. 

The fact that they kept the stuff on the very back of the top shelf of their medicine cabinet didn’t mean they  _ never _ used it, more that they didn’t want Fell to  _ know _ that they--

Sans froze, an unfamiliar pressure around his midsection making him glance down at himself in surprise. The edge of the sink pressed up against the cloth of his shirt, making a dent in the fabric. 

He wasn’t stupid. Sans had never been stupid, and probably would never even be accused of it. 

With shaking hands, he reached down, lifting the hem of his t-shirt before looking up.

Sans stared at himself in the mirror, eyes wide as he took in the sight. A breathless laugh escaped him, and he pulled his shirt down over his midsection, spinning around and yanking the bathroom door open before racing out and into the hallway, tiredness pushed as far to the back of his mind as he could manage.

“Red!”

A garbled groan was his answer, the other’s head popping up over the couch cushions with only one eye half-opened. “Whazzit?”

Sans snickered, then repeated himself, drawing Red’s attention. Red smiled when he saw him, then dropped below his view again, mumbling something about “Five more minutes, sweetheart.”

Sans huffed, descending the stairs quickly and crossing the living room to stand in front of the couch. Red’s eye popped open again, and he shot him a tired grin before holding out his arms in a clear invitation.

Instead of taking it, Sans took hold of the other’s wrists, holding his arms out of the way as he climbed onto the couch to straddle Red’s lap. Well, that got his attention. Red’s grin took on a different edge, and he tried to sit up, blinking the sleep out of his eyes. “Well, all ya had to do was say --”

His words cut off in a choke as Sans used his grip on the other’s wrist to press Red’s hand into the soft flesh of his newly summoned stomach.

~~~

“Can you see Sirius?”

Sans pulled away from his telescope to give Red a disparaging expression. “No, my frail eyes are failing me. Can you come spare me the strain, my fair knight errant?”

Snickering, Red, sat back and propped his hands on the ground. “Maybe if you bring the telescope over here. This knight is tired.”

“You’re always tired. I’m not bringing the telescope over there so that you can check out a star you can see with your naked eye.”

“My what now?”

“You can’t make that joke every time we go stargazing and expect it to still be funny, Red.”

“I can certainly try.”

Sans returned to the telescope to hide the smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. He didn’t want to give Red the satisfaction of him--

“Scootch,” Red said from right behind him, and Sans yelped, spinning around to see the other standing less than an inch behind him, hands slung in the pockets of his jacket and a shit-eating grin on his face.

Sans grumbled under his breath, sidling to one side so Red could bring his eye to the glass. He felt his hand come down to rest on the side of his waist, pressing gently into the barely-there swell of his stomach, and he couldn’t help but sigh as he was tugged to Red’s side. He was warm; his thick jacket pressing softly against Sans’ back. When he breathed in, he caught the usual whiff of him -- tobacco, cologne, and cinnamon.

He peered up at the night sky, letting his eyes drift down to half-mast as he was held to Red’s side, watching the other’s one-handed adjustments to the telescope out of the corner of his eye. It took him a while to realize Red had gone still, and he noticed him staring at him, eyelights glowing brightly.

“What?” Sans asked, the single word breaking the spell he’d found himself falling into.

Red started to shake his head, then stopped, shrugging before tugging Sans in just a bit closer. “Dunno,” he said, brushing a thumb along the worn metal of the telescope. “I’m happy.”

Well.

“That’s pretty gay.” Sans grinned, but he turned his body just enough that his cheek pressed into the soft fluff of Red’s hood. The arm around his waist tightened, and he felt Red’s breath on the top of his head as he chuckled.

“Joke’s on you, I’ve been straight this whole time.”

“Straight-up homosexual, maybe.”

God, he had no idea how this could last. He had no clue how anything could work its way inside him like this, warming and healing and just… there. Red had so quickly become everything that was wonderful in the world, and the fact that he felt the same? Impossible.

“I love you,” Red murmured, and Sans squeezed his eyes shut.

At this point, denying that he was anything but completely, irrevocably,  _ unconditionally _ in love with Red would have been pure stupidity.

“Now,  _ that’s _ really gay.”

Red’s snort of laughter reverberated through both of their chests, and his other arm fell around Sans’ back, telescope forgotten. He pulled him closer, tucking his chin down so that he could press a kiss to the side of Sans’ head.

But then again…

“I love you too. More than…” Sans shifted his jaw, eyes still tightly closed. “More than I’ll ever be able to tell you.”

It had been the single best stupid thing he’d ever let himself do, falling in the first place.

 

_ The End _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you want more of this world, look [here](http://archiveofourown.org/series/713712)
> 
> If you want more Kustard from me, look [here](http://archiveofourown.org/works/8585845/chapters/22448471) for my favorite example.  
> If you want more Rottenberry from me, look [here](http://archiveofourown.org/works/8585845/chapters/28794906) for my favorite example.  
> I write both of these ships a lot, and they can be found in about a million different places among my works.
> 
> Some of my other best works, if you want more from me, are [here](http://archiveofourown.org/works/8585845/chapters/19687660) [here](http://archiveofourown.org/works/10955073/chapters/24383145) and [here](http://archiveofourown.org/works/11609376/chapters/26098326).
> 
> Thank you all so much. I will never be able to thank you all enough for your continued support.

**Author's Note:**

> Come hang out with me on my [Tumblr](http://crushingonsans.tumblr.com/)!  
> I post the occasional line or two from things I'm working on, answer asks, occasionally attempt to art, and if you'd like to make a request, that is the best place to do it!
> 
> Hey, if you would like to see some extra canon scenes that haven't made it into the story, go [here](http://archiveofourown.org/works/11270064)!


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